Dear reader, would you like to know how musicians typically spend their final moments before a concert and what happens on the other side of the stage? The other side of the stage is also populated, and passions run high. If you thought the musicians were melancholically tuning their violins before going onstage, I have some bad news: dramas and comedies worthy of an Oscar unto themselves unfold there.

The founders of the Melodiya Orchestra—international competition-winning cellist Annaoraz Dovletov and the orchestra's administrator, talented and vibrant violinist and teacher Selbi Yagshieva—will share this and many other aspects of musician's life. This interview took place as part of the "Crossroads of Arts" journalistic project, which actively supports young artists. The project's creator and director is art historian and composer Aina Shirova. Thanks to the project's support, art lovers and connoisseurs have learned about new names of talented musicians, artists, composers, and actors.

-So, what happens backstage just before the concert starts?

-While the audience members are leisurely settling in, chatting, and eagerly awaiting the start of the concert, a veritable mashup of psychological thrillers unfolds behind the scenes! This is especially acute when the debut of a new band or the premiere of a program is at stake," explains Selby. -The musician on stage and the musician five minutes before are two different people.

-Exactly! - Annaoraz agreed. -However, at first, everything seems more or less peaceful, as it should be in good thrillers. The orchestra and singers gather in the dressing room long before the concert begins. Meanwhile, in the audience, the final preparations are underway.

But as the performance approaches, the psychological tension intensifies." Some quietly mope and pray, huddled in the corner of the dressing room, while others lose their nerve and begin to play out terrible scenarios of failure in their heads and voice them to everyone present.

-Wow! The intensity of the emotions and the internal tension are so intense that they could charge a small power station!

-Yes, - says Annaoraz. -And as always, amidst all this insane stress, there's always a joker trying to defuse the pre-infarction atmosphere: 'Let's take a photo before and after the performance to see how many kilos we've lost.' Everyone's giggling convulsively, their nerves taut as ropes.

-Now, let's imagine the hall starts to fill up... How does it all unfold?

-And then it's like a silent movie, - says Selby. -Because you can't make any noise anymore. A silent panic breaks out in the dressing room. Everyone's looking for something, frantically adjusting their costumes, rustling, whispering, fussing... someone runs to the stage every two minutes, checking through a crack to see how full the hall is. And only the most experienced and seasoned artists sit quietly and sip tea, fanning themselves.

-So, that's exactly what happened at your recent March concert?

-Of course, this whole description exaggerates the reality a bit,- says Selby, -but it's true that the artists feel a tremendous responsibility to their audiences before a performance and literally go crazy.

-I'd like to take this opportunity to address our audience, - Annaoraz continued. -You're not just witnesses to our first performances; you're like a compass for us, determining whether the Melodiya Orchestra is developing in the right direction. During our concerts, we constantly feel your support and the warmth emanating from you.

-Every time we reached the most challenging parts or the most incredible vocal heights, I couldn't help but cringe," Selby says. -One thought kept running through my head: 'If only they can pull this off, if only it doesn't fall apart.' It was pure adrenaline. But you, our listeners, reacted completely differently. You greeted every challenging musical number with warm applause, grateful cries of 'Bravo!', and bouquets of flowers. We felt like we were at a cozy celebration among friends.

-So, how do you determine the success of a concert? By the number of shouts of "Bravo!", by the decibel level during the applause, by the capacity of the hall, or, as you said, by the kilograms lost during the performance?

-Audience members usually 'vote' with their feet. If the orchestra and the program are good, the audience comes to the concert and doesn't rush to the exit after the finale, - Annaoraz replied.

-How do your creative partnerships come about? Do solo singers come to you with collaboration ideas, or do you initiate them?

-It's the law of gravity, - the orchestra director joked. -They're drawn into our orbit. Although, sometimes we have to hunt for some. Some of the capital's best vocalists have joined our team, such as Bakhar Durdyeva, Dovran Shammyev, and Emir Bayramgeldyev. We're also friends with the Raduga Children's Choir.

-Regarding your February concert, even before the announcements were published, there were no tickets left at the box office. The same thing happened before your March concert.

-Yes. That's exactly what happened. People called, but there were no tickets left. We even had to take down the posters. But it was a pleasure, and it really flatters my ego! The most enjoyable dismantling of my life.

-How about an April concert?

-I'll be unoriginal: all the tickets for April 25th were sold out in just ten days, - Annaoraz smiles. -To avoid disappointing those who missed out, we've decided to hold a second concert on April 26th. The program includes favorite hits from the 90s and 2000s, but the real highlight of the evening will be Turkmen classics. We've prepared works by Bayram Taganov and the Gunesh group. It's an incredible mix of national motifs with jazz harmony that sounds simply stunning.

We love and value our national music and culture. In each of our programs, we perform the best examples of Turkmen music—folk, composers, pop, and classical.

—What's next? What are your plans and projects?

-New ideas, endless rehearsals, and performances lie ahead, - Selby concludes. -We choose the program together, through lively discussions. Sometimes we argue until we're hoarse, but the voice of every musician in the orchestra is important. We make all the key decisions together—that's the strength of our group.”

The next meetings with our fans will take place in April and May. Rehearsals are in full swing right now, reminiscent of a chef's kitchen: everything is bubbling and seething. We've decided to approach the preparation of the April and May concerts in a completely new way.

-We've decided to infuse the program with so much fresh creative oxygen that the audience might feel pleasantly dizzy, - Selbi agreed. -Come on, let's find musical zen together!

"Good luck!"

Anay Yolbarsov