The remarkable young conductor Aziz Shokhakimov burst on the scene at the age of just 21, astounding audiences in Bamberg, where he was awarded Second Prize at the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition under the auspices of the Bamberger Symphoniker. He has since accepted invitations to conduct at distinguished international venues.
Following the competition, Aziz Shokhakimov made several triumphant debuts, performing with the Staatskapelle Dresden, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, HR-Sinfonie-orchester, Dresdner Philharmoniker, Deutsches Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Tonkünstlerorchester Niederösterreich, Orchestra Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Orchestra Filarmonica della Fenice, Sinfonia Varsovia, and the Orgeon, Pacific and Houston symphony orchestras.
Recognition came very early for the artist. Born in 1988 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Aziz Shokhakimov entered the Uspensky Music School for Gifted Children at the age of 6, where he studied violin, viola and orchestral conducting (class of professor Vladimir Neymer). At the age of 13 he made his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, conducting Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Liszt's First Piano Concerto. During the following year he conducted his first opera, Carmen, at the National Opera of Uzbekistan. His relationship with both organisations resulted in invitations to perform symphonies by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Prokofiev and Shostakovich, as well as operas by Verdi and Bizet among others. Since 2006 Aziz Shokhakimov has been holding the position of Principal Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan. He received support from the Vladimir Spivakov International Charitable Foundation and is a recipient of the Nihol Prize awarded by the State of Uzbekistan.
Next to his symphonic career Aziz Shokhakimov is also active in the field of opera. In 2013/14 he lead a production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Teatro Communale di Bologna. At Deutsche Oper am Rhein he conducted a revival of Carmen after which he was engaged as Kapellmeister, starting in 2015/16. In his first season in Dusseldorf he conducted Aida, The Tales of Hoffmann and Rigoletto. The current season will see him in a new production of Madama Butterfly.
In 2016 Aziz Shokhakimov won the Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award having conducted the Camerata Salzburg in the finals.
(photo: Iliya Kononov)
