Concerts 2009

Alie and Lilya Bekirova (violins)
The twins Alie and Lilya Bekirova were born in 1982 in Bekabad, Uzbekistan. Growing up in a family of musicians, they both showed a great interest in violin from their early years. Their musical education started at the age of seven at the Uspensky Music School for extraordinary musical talents in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. When they reached the age of thirteen, the twins were already playing their first concert tours with the National Symphonic and Chamber Orchestra of Tashkent and they played their first solo concerts in Germany in 1996. Seeking higher musical education, the twins moved to Germany in the year 2000, where they studied at the college for music and theatre in Hannover. The quality of their performances has won them many prizes and awards but the "Yehudi Menuhin Presidents Prize" in France 1998 was the most significant. In the same year they recorded their first CD, and many appearances on radio and national TV followed. Their second CD was recorded in 2005 with the talented pianist, Michael Lifits.

During the past years, Alie and Lilya have played solo concerts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Poland, Ukraine and Belgium. They have been frequent guest players at international festivals in Poland, Germany, Austria and Ukraine, and have played with other famous artists in UNICEF concerts and gala dinners sponsored by Dresdner Bank. They have played with many orchestras in Uzbekistan and beyond, and with various chamber music partners.

Alie won the first prize at the Yfrah Neaman International Violin Competition in Mainz in 2003. She plays the “Nikolas Lupot” Violin (made in 1810), which is on loan to her from the “Stiftung Musikleben” foundation in Hamburg. Lilya won prizes at two international violin competitions in Italy in 2005 and the "Lotos Gdansk Classic Prize" in Poland.

Since September 2008 Alie and Lilya have been working as first violinists in the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sonja Park (piano)
Born in Seoul, Sonja Park is essentially a self-taught pianist. In her youth she toured the world as a pianist with the Korean National Men's Choir. Her life changed dramatically in 1999 when she was heard by Professor Alexander Jenner, who was so impressed that he invited her to join his class at the University of Music and Drama in Vienna . In the following few years she received many awards and scholarships, and has subsequently won prizes in many international piano/chamber music competitions.

She has worked with many famous musicians and orchestras, and has given concerts worldwide including, last season, in Vienna, Tokyo, Florence, the Wigmore Hall London, and in her Russian debut at the Andrey Sakharov International Art Festival. Sonja currently lives in Doha, and enjoys a busy schedule, combining performing, running a piano studio and raising a little daughter, Mia, with her husband Dmitri, a concert violinist and a member of Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.