Striking a Chord
The Determination Behind Jamila Garayusifli's Rise as a Violinist

 

Every music story is unique, and Jamila Garayusifli's is no exception. A gifted violinist from Baku, she found her musical zenith in Switzerland. We meet in Geneva, amidst her busy schedule of concerts, rehearsals, and album releases. At first glance, she appears fragile, but this perception quickly dissipates as we delve into her story. Her e-book is not a typical read, but a collection of musical notes on her tablet. This unique aspect of her journey, along with her talent and determination, is sure to intrigue any music enthusiast.

She was destined for art from an early age as she came from a family of musicians. The choice was given to her for a reason. A lot of children would start their music journey by watching concerts and being completely mesmerized by what is happening on stage. The story of the musician’s children, however, is slightly different. Rather, they peeked at this world back home in their parents' rehearsal rooms. And while music has been a part of their lives, the first steps were only sometimes easy. “I was hesitant to get involved with music because I had firsthand experience of how challenging and time-consuming it is. My parents encouraged me to try it, at least for myself. This act of 'doing things for myself' in my family has turned into a serious undertaking. As a kid, I wanted to engage in something more entertaining, having fun with my friends in the yard rather than staying home for hours playing a violin. I don't believe much in the glossy stories of geniuses who asked to play the instrument as soon as they were born. I believe that every child aims to have fun and have a good time in some way or another. With the first concerts, everything changed. This sudden focus on you is quite addictive, especially at an early age. So later on, when my parents offered me a choice, it was already hard to give up music".

The violin made its way into the life of the young girl from Baku. Zara Guliyeva, the first teacher she had, is still a role model for her and a person she considers a friend and a mentor years later. According to Jamila, her journey into music was much more pleasant than that of her parents' generation. "I was lucky as I was already growing and developing as a musician in a free country. I had the opportunity to travel to festivals and auditions, play for a wide variety of audiences, and host professionals in my home country. On one of these occasions, Maxim Vengerov came to Baku to teach master classes. After hearing me, he offered to play a concert by Gara Garayev with him. For whatever reason, it hadn't been played for quite some time, but after our concert, it had some sort of a renaissance. It has returned to the repertoire of performers with the play of a musician of such stature as Vengerov. This concert was also the starting point for me. I became invited to international festivals, one of which was Musica Mundi (editor’s note: International chamber music festival in Belgium. The festival's organizers aim to guide young musicians through chamber music's prism and the unlimited possibilities of musical interpretation.)

 Being the first Azerbaijani at the festival and opening the way for other musicians from my region fills me with joy. A significant number of young performers from Azerbaijan have already participated in the festival today.

 

At the age of 16, Jamila discovered her place in the European community of musicians, having already been invited to concerts that weren't part of festivals. After completing her studies at a specialized school named after Bul-Bul, she was unsure of her next steps. For instance, continue with the Baku Music Academy or try things abroad. Obtaining international experience was necessary, but she was reluctant to depart from her family. The Buchmann-Mehta Program in Tel Aviv caught her attention. (The Buchmann-Mehta School of Music was founded in 2005 as a result of a unique partnership between Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra). Participating in an audition can lead to winning a grant under the program. Although she didn't plan on studying in Israel at first, she was intrigued by the audition.

In fact, having a positive attitude towards contests and auditions played almost a key role in her life. “Competitions can be intimidating for many people. The same old "what if it doesn’t work out?" contests cause many to panic, but I never pressured myself to win. I would always say, "Just give it a try."

 

There is always a big chance of losing but also a small chance of winning. I had more faith in the second option.

 

I traveled to Tel Aviv, received a grant, and stayed to pursue my studies.  The enchantment was short-lived. Unfortunately, the geographical location of Israel and Azerbaijan is a problem for musicians. In any European country, you can play at a festival in France today and in Switzerland for a couple of days, taking a train without having to fly. The same is true for the USA - the musical circle rotates around the States. If you get invited to a festival in Azerbaijan or Israel, there's a chance you won't be able to leave the next day. It is not helpful for young musicians at the start of their careers. It turns out that you are stewing in your own juice without the possibility of traveling regularly, trying something new, meeting colleagues, and exchanging experiences. I was fortunate enough to realize that quickly.

 

Jamila decided to move forward and discovered a pair of professors, Pavel Vernikov and Svetlana Makarova. Violinists who are famous worldwide. She set out to try her luck and become a student of one of them with complete admiration. “Once more, I was confronted with the difficulty of reaching professors of this level. Stories of years-long queues to get into their class and the fact that it's as challenging as the competition and not even worth trying. I was told yet again, 'It won't work anyway.”

 

When it comes to musicians, it's not the university that matters. It's the professor and class you're enrolled in. A professor usually can take 8 or, at most, 10 students. Vernikov and Makarova had classes in Switzerland and Austria, and Jamila, by chance, ended up trying her hand at Lausanne. "I passed the exam and was accepted into Svetlana Makarova's class.  I was, of course, sorry to leave halfway through the program in Tel Aviv. But in music, perhaps like in sports, you must always make difficult decisions if it surprises you. Even though I am very grateful to Tel Aviv University and all the experience I was able to gain through them, I decided to start again in Switzerland, and I don't regret it for a second."

 

Svetlana Makarova's class is a life-long learning environment. As a musician, professor, person who created herself completely from scratch, mother, and woman, she is a role model that I admire a lot.

 

During her study with Svetlana in Switzerland, Jamila was faced with an unawareness of Azerbaijan or Azerbaijanis in musical circles. "From what I’ve learned in the first years, there were not many students from Azerbaijan in Switzerland, unlike Germany. This was especially reflected in the attitude of concert organizers, as the lack of any knowledge or associations, whether positive or negative, about Azerbaijan, made them distrustful of the issue of professionalism in classical music. After many attempts, when my dossier was simply sent back, I still managed to meet people who believed in me. Following the initial concerts, I observed a complete lack of understanding by the Swiss regarding my background.”

 

- "It's surprising! Your stylistic skills are impressive.

- "Why wouldn't they be?"

- “It's strange... do you have a school for classical music?”

- “Certainly, and it's not the worst.”

 

Talented Jamila has felt like her role was too exotic for the local audience for some time. After playing numerous concerts over time, she became a familiar face among classical music lovers, and her origin was associated with professionalism and refined taste. “After a concert in Switzerland, musicians have a tradition of talking to listeners, and this human interaction has great power. Having your dossier just say where you're from is one thing. The reader observed it, contemplated (or not), and moved on, as they say. The communication that happens after you've put your soul into an instrument, and then you go out to people with that same soul, who are always curious about who you really are, has a very different effect.”

 

Jamila believes that Switzerland is becoming a hub for musicians. The many festivals it hosts attract people from all over Europe, not just because of its favorable geographical location. It is also a hub for a lot of financial activity. The arts community tends to settle here. “Having graduated, I opted to stay and continue my journey in this country. There are worlds within Switzerland, and there is a big difference between the German and French cantons. After finishing my studies with Svetlana Makarova, I wanted to try to obtain a second Master's degree in Specialized Music Performance, Soloist. (ed. note: a unique program that allows students to play an exam with an orchestra, the chance to try out being a concertmaster in various projects, and also chamber orchestra opportunities) in Zurich. In most cases, a limited number of places per instrument is allocated for this special type of master's program. I was one of two violinists admitted to this program in my year of entry, along with a colleague from Germany. Of course, I heard the fondest “It's very hard to get in,” which you have probably already guessed.

 

The fear of criticism is the biggest concern for anyone in the artistic field. Despite having put their heart into it and practicing for months, someone else can drop it or cancel in a matter of minutes. I gave my 'What if it works' a chance, and it worked again.

"Now, when I tell you in a nutshell, it seems it wasn't that difficult. In reality, I have been preparing for this exam for a year.  That is to say, despite my optimism, I know that everyone else will be as prepared as possible, and I've always put in 100% of my effort to be more prepared. I want to emphasize the importance of everyone's tremendous work at the audition. At this level, everyone plays well. The one who has prepared the best goes through. And that's a significant amount of hard work. That's how I ended up with Professor Ilya Gringolts."

 

Jamila's story reveals that Switzerland appeals to her for several reasons. Despite initial distrust, the Swiss always allow you to prove yourself and do not discriminate based on your professional or national background. She credits two factors to her success: patience and visualization.

 

I always set ambitious goals for myself in my profession, had self-confidence, and ignored others' “that is impossible” remarks. I was also patient. If I had turned around and left my first year in Switzerland, when my dossiers were repeatedly sent back, I wouldn't have been able to become the first chair violinist in the various orchestras.

 

Yes, Jamila Garayusifli has been invited to perform as the first violinist in various chamber and symphony orchestras in Switzerland and France.  While collaborating on various projects and performing solo concerts, she decided to establish her own trio. “It has turned out quite organically. I studied with Daria Korotkova. She has been playing the piano since she was three years old and won the best competitions and grants at a young age. Her name on the list resulted in the best pianists refusing to audition. I understood this comprehensively after our duo was formed from other pianists. She advised me to transform our duet into a trio, as violin and piano are typically not thought of as a chamber group but rather associated with accompanying the violin. A piano trio that consisted of violin, cello, and piano was chosen. We were fortunate enough to meet Sandro Meszaros and combine our creative ideas. A talented Swiss cellist who has also won international competitions won a position at Tonhalle this year. I think we are a good team not only because we work hard together and separately but also because we have forged a strong relationship among us.”

 

In music, it is essential. You can hear it when there is no mutual sympathy among those playing.

Jamila started her journey early by taking part in competitions and festivals, and as she did so, she pondered how to showcase Azerbaijani classical music to European audiences. Adding something to the current concert program was hard despite her reputation. Over time, she has managed to add small works by Azerbaijani composers without it being too obvious. " Hearing positive feedback from the audience about our music was a pleasant experience. Studying Azerbaijani chamber music more seriously was motivated by it. Our symphonic works were still exported outside of Azerbaijan and were known in many circles, which was not the case with academic chamber music, so it didn’t get much publicity on a global scale. Finding high-quality sheet music that would sound clear and well-recorded was proving to be a difficult task. There is very little information and very few professionally made recordings. In any case, the trio and I began to include Azerbaijani academic music in the program regularly. Even when we perform a program to a clear order, we play Azerbaijani chamber music as an encore.  To provide people with an idea. They are very fond of it! And here again, I am asked to send recordings or sheet music – but they are not available in editions."

 

My meeting with the Heritage Association, particularly with Dilara Panakhova, was a turning point in the history of Azerbaijani chamber music. Their assistance resulted in a disc recording featuring a classical Azerbaijani work. It was a good idea to start by combining our work with a European piece, as a completely unfamiliar name could go unnoticed.

 

“Franck Martin, a Swiss composer who learned the piano and composed at the age of 9, is truly a local pride, one of the few famous world-renowned composers from the country. This year is also the 50th anniversary of his passing, and numerous events is being held in his memory. It seemed like a good idea to combine his work with that of Tofig Bakikhanov. Bakikhanov's composition combines classical and folk themes (both Azerbaijani and Turkish) and interesting harmony and jazz elements. Even though he is a classical composer from an academic point of view, he remains incredibly authentic. After studying their biographies, I realized how similar their lives were and how wonderful it would be to combine them into one album. Folk music is present in both of their compositions. Under the pressure of a stronger cultural center, they were both attempting to identify themselves through music. The puzzle came together with the trio members because there was a direct connection between the composers and each of us.”

 

The disc has already been recorded; soon, our readers will be able to hear everything Jamila tells us with such trepidation. “The Heritage Association's support made it possible, and I am thankful for the trust they have placed in me to make a collaboration of an Azerbaijani and a Swiss composer. Some people are ready to help but on purely national projects. While with Heritage, they trusted me and realized the importance of creating an international project.”

Jamila's busy schedule makes it difficult for her to discover new authors in literature. Her primary energy is directed towards classical music. She claims she takes a 2-week break every year, and it's the only pause she can afford. Rereading “The Master and Margarita” by Bulgakov and “Harry Potter” and going to museums are something she enjoys. There is still a touch of art in a museum, but a complete absence of sound is essential for a reboot. “I believe the urge to reread is connected to general mental fatigue. I have traveled a lot to Switzerland, France, and Germany. In addition to daily rehearsals, I also spend a lot of time on trains and on the road, where I mentally prepare myself for concerts or read professional literature related to classical music. I'm so tired that the books I've read from cover to cover for a long time give me a sense of security and relaxation since I already know exactly what's going to happen, and I don't get stressed out.”

In our view, Jamila's response on heritage aligns with her role. “To me, heritage is the most important thing, and it refers to people who remember the history of their people. Maintaining traditions, passing them on to the next generation, and introducing them to individuals from other nations and cultures. Individuals who equitably represent their nation and do their utmost to promote its development in various areas.”

Jamila has shared a reading list and the playlist of her most frequently listened-to albums for “Heritage.”

Professional literature Jamila read recently:

o Yehudi Menuhin - Unfinished Journey

o Yavar Neymatli - Zahra of our national performing arts ( Milli ifaçılıq sənətimizin Zəhrası)

o Larisa Vengerova - Pedagogical Etude

Favorite Albums

·         Altre Follie (1500-1750). Hesperion XXI & Jordi Savall. (Album, 2005)

·         Giuseppe Sinopoli, Philarmonia Orchestra. Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (Album 1995)

·         Brahms. The symphonies. Daniel Barenboim (Album, 2018).

·          Gara Garayev. Sonata for violin and piano. 24 preludes for piano. Vadim Repin, Murad Huseynov. (Album, 2017)·   

·         Hagen Quartett. Mozart. The strings quartets. (Album, 1991)

·         Altenberg Trio Wien. Trios from France (Album, 2007)

·         Isfar Sarabski. Planet. (Album, 2021)

·         Kanye West. Yeezus. (Album, 2013)

·         Queen. A night at the Opera (Album, 1975)

·         Queen. Made in Heaven (Album, 1995)

·         Radiohead. Ok computer (Album, 1997)

·         Cinema Bizarre. Final attraction (Album, 2007).