Anton Bruckner Private University, Austria; renata.kambarova@gmail.com

APPROACHING NOLA, SHASHMAQOM, AND WESTERN CONTEMPORARY ART MUSIC THROUGH INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE AND ARTISTIC RESEARCH

I am exploring ways to create meaningful, transformative musical relationships between flute and nay players through my own example, while conducting an intensive study of the technique of nola, the traditional ornamentational technique between vibrato and trill, used in both vocal and instrumental performances in Shashmaqom. With Shashmaqom I mean the classical genre and pieces that are mainly played and taught in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. At the same time, I will investigate the transverse nay, learn about its most representative repertoire within the tradition of Shashmaqom from experts in the field, as well as its history and nowadays practice. After developing my own transcultural expressive techniques, I plan to work with composers and musicians from both cultures to develop mutually influenced ways and means of making music and to express a third place between two musical backgrounds. Then I expect to be able to transfer the insights gained to Western concert flute practice and make them accessible to Contemporary Art Music composers. I ask: How can a Western-trained instrumentalist approach Shashmaqom and the tradition of nola and blend it with Western contemporary music in a balanced and respectful way? In the article, I propose to show how my research design helps me to blend Situational Analysis with Artistic Research, including improvisation, electro-acoustic composition, field research and semi-structured interviews.

Keywords: Shashmaqom; Artistic Research; Cultural Identity.

Biography

Renata Kambarova is a professional flautist specializing in contemporary music and multimedia, and an artistic researcher. She is a member of different ensembles of classical and contemporary music, and she is also developing projects including improvisation, electronics and visuals. She is leading an active and promising international career, and has played in many international festivals, such as Biennale de Venezia, reMuisk, or Ars Musica. With the ensemble Fractales she often gives premieres of young and confirmed composers from all over the world. She is currently studying her PhD in artistic research in Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz, Austria, developing projects between Belgium and Uzbekistan.