On the eve of International Women's Day, a ceremonial tea party organized by Evgenia Andreeva, the wife of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Arab Emirates, announced the creation of a union of women in the UAE. Many wonderful and talented Russian-speaking women live in this country, unfortunately, most of them are known only to a narrow circle of people, therefore a series of articles about our wonderful compatriots begins with this publication. And the first one I want to talk about is the great pianist and composer Julia Podsekaeva, who lives and works in Abu Dhabi.
All residents of the emirate capital who are interested in art, sooner or later come to the Cultural Foundation of Abu Dhabi (Cultural Foundation of Abu Dhabi), having crossed the threshold of which, they immediately find themselves in the realm of music. For over 10 years, this beautiful world has been created by Julia. The magical sounds of piano music fill the whole space, and if you want to pass by, then you won’t succeed, because Julia’s game is simply mesmerizing, and everyone necessarily stops near the piano to listen to classical works, popular modern European and Arabic melodies in her brilliant performance. Julia’s playing style is unique, and although she plays the piano, it seems to you that this is an entire orchestra, the sound of her instrument is so diverse and full.
The love of music was transmitted to Julia from her mother. Marina Andreevna devoted her whole life to serving art and children, being one of the leading teachers of the Central Music School in Sochi. For her daughter, she was also the first teacher, so she presented her bouquet, which Yulia was first presented at age 5 for performing the Dance of the Little Swans by P. Tchaikovsky, to her mother. Until now, Marina Andreyevna remains the main friend and mentor of her daughter in life and in art. And then there was a music school, victories in regional and city competitions - all this was a good start for future studies in Moscow.
In the Russian capital, Julia continued her education in famous educational institutions. First, she graduated from college at the Academy. Gnesins in piano and composition, and then entered the State Conservatory. P.I. Tchaikovsky, which is the best musical university in our country.
At the conservatory, Julia studied at the theoretical and composer department, where her professor was the famous Russian composer Tikhon Khrennikov. At the piano faculty, Julia studied with Professor M. Mezhlumov and studied vocals with Professor N. Dorliak and Associate Professor G. Pisarenko. In addition, the girl additionally listened to master classes at Svyatoslav Richter, Galina Vishnevskaya and Elena Obraztsova. Communication with such outstanding personalities and study with them, of course, had a great impact on Julia, as a professional musician.
The student years came to an end, and as a thesis, Julia Podsekaeva wrote several chamber works and the symphonic fantasy "Notre Dame de Paris" based on Victor Hugo’s novel, receiving the highest scores for them. Her training in Moscow fell on the most difficult period for our country - “perestroika”, so she also with special gratitude recalls her dad - Viktor Petrovich, who supported her all this time. Arriving in the United Arab Emirates, Julia almost immediately began to collaborate with the Abu Dhabi Cultural Fund (1998), where she has since been performing for guests of the center and, at the same time, is an adviser on the selection of music programs.
Julia masterfully owns the instrument, and her play leaves no one indifferent, and since art knows no boundaries, among fans of the pianist's talent are music connoisseurs from around the world. Through her play, Yulia Podsekaeva brings to the audience an idea of a rich Russian tradition of music school. The works of P. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninov, N. Rimsky Korsakov, A. Scriabin and other great Russian composers are always included in her repertoire. Julia loves Russian romances, folk songs and often performs them, and being a composer, she always arranges these melodies, making them unique.
She does not stand aside from the public life of the Russian-speaking diaspora and is always happy to take part in various events organized by the Russian embassy in the UAE. Appreciating the talent and skill of Julia, the diplomatic missions of many countries and representatives of the best families of the United Arab Emirates (many of whom are true experts in world culture) invite her to speak at her receptions. During these years, her play was repeatedly recorded by Dubai, German and French, Danish and Lebanese television channels.
Living in the Emirates and in close contact with local culture, Julia began to study and perform traditional oriental melodies, and communication with Arab musicians enriched her knowledge in the field of music. At the invitation of the famous Lebanese pianist and composer Ziyad Rahbani, the son of the legendary singer Feyruz, she took part in his concert.
It is very pleasant that such a talented and multifaceted musician as Julia represents Russia here - in one of the most developed countries in the Middle East. I would like to wish that Yulia’s creative fate will continue to develop successfully, and music lovers will always be waiting for her new performances.
