Posts by admin
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Concert at SOAS by the Ilyos Arabov Ensemble
Photo credits to © Mike Skelton On 27 February 2026, the Ilyos Arabov Ensemble performed at the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS University of London, presenting the rich musical and dance traditions of Bukhara. Ilyos Arabov: Vocals, Tanbur (long-necked plucked lute), Sato (long-necked bowed lute), Dutor (long-necked plucked lute), Doira (frame drum) Farangiz Makhmudova: DutorNasimkhon Muzaffarov: DoiraVosidjon Makhmudov: Ghijjak (short-necked bowed lute)Dilorom Madrakhimova: Dance Where Boundaries Dissolve Bukhara and its musics testify to the cultural diversity of […]
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Music and Dance of Bukhara: Spiritual Heartland of Central Asia
Group: Ilyos Arabov Ensemble Date: 27 February 2026 Time: Doors open at 7pm Venue: Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS University of London, WC1H 0XG Ilyos Arabov, born in the ancient city of Bukhara and now recognised one of the finest musicians in Uzbekistan, leads this internationally acclaimed ensemble in a programme of Shashmaqom (the music nurtured in the court of the Emir of Bukhara) and traditional songs for celebrations, with dances […]
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Bastakor creativity in Uzbekistan
Fieldwork: Researching bastakor creativity in Uzbekistan, Sept-Dec 2025 Eugene Leung travelled to Uzbekistan between September and December to conduct fieldwork for his PhD dissertation, on creativity in Uzbek classical music. Based in Tashkent, he was attached to the Yunus Rajabiy Institute of National Musical Arts (UzMMSI), immersing in its musical life, whilst also travelling to cities such as Bukhara, Samarqand and Andijan to engage with musicians and musical institutions in these cities. […]
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Saeid Kordmafi Delivers Lecture at the Research Institute of Cultural Studies and Intangible Cultural Heritage, Uzbekistan
On 10 September 2025, Dr. Saeid Kordmafi, Co-Investigator of the Maqam Beyond Nation project, delivered an online lecture as part of the Scientific and Practical Lecture Series at the “Research Institute of Cultural Studies and Intangible Cultural Heritage” under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The lecture, titled “Where Is the Maqam World? An Introduction to Classical Musics of the Islamic World” aimed to establish a general […]
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Professor Owen Wright Receives the 2025 British Academy Derek Allen Prize
Maqam Beyond Nation is proud to share that Professor Owen Wright, esteemed member of our Advisory Board and Emeritus Professor of Musicology of the Middle East at SOAS University of London, has been awarded the 2025 Derek Allen Prize by the British Academy. This prestigious award, presented annually in rotation across the fields of musicology, numismatics, and Celtic studies, recognizes outstanding scholarly contributions. This year, it honours Professor Wright for his […]
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“Capturing Practice” by Mukaddas Mijit and Rachel Harris
Mukaddas Mijit and Rachel Harris discussed the process of repertoire selection and rehearsal leading up to the concerts at the ADPRex “Capturing Practice” conference in Singapore in August 2025. Their discussion focuses on the research potential of film to capture processes of creativity in musical encounters across borders.
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Symposium in Baku April 2026
“Maqam Beyond Nation” is organizing an international symposium together with Azerbaijan National Conservatory, and the ICTMD Study Group on Maqām. This symposium will be focused on both historical and current connections between Azerbaijani mugham and cognate maqam branches in the Middle East, Central Asia, and beyond. The symposium will take place on April 29-30, 2026, at the Azerbaijan National Conservatory in Baku, and will function as the 12th Symposium of the ICTMD Study Group […]
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“Chegra Bilmas Maqom”A collaboration on Central Asian Maqām across Borders
by Rachel Harris On stage at Ala Space, Almaty. Photo by Mukaddas Mijit In October 2025, we brought together a group of musicians from Tashkent and Almaty for two concerts based on a creative exploration of maqām traditions from Central Asia. Abror Zufarov (vocals, sato), Guzal Muminova (dotar) and Sherzod Nazarov (doira), all teachers at the Yunus Rajabi Institute in Tashkent, have been working with Almaty-based independent musicians, Saniyam Ismail […]
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Visit to the Yunus Rajabi Institute
Photo: A first-year instrumental ensemble, directed by Shahmahmut In March 2025, Rachel Harris and Mukaddas Mijit visited the Uzbek National Institute of Musical Arts Named After Yunus Rajabi in Tashkent and were treated to a tour of the Institute’s departments as well as some outstanding performances by current students and teachers. Clip: Students of Malika Khanum perform an ensemble dotar piece (excerpt) Established in 2020, the primary purpose of the […]
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Visit to the Farg’ona Maqom School and the Marg’ilan Maqom Theatre
With members of the Marg’ilan Maqom Theatre In April 2025, Rachel Harris and Aziz Isa Elkun were generously hosted by the Maqom School led by Ulug’bek Mamadjanov, and the Maqom Theatre led by Fazil Ismailov. Both are recently established, on the foundation of existing music institutions, but with a new focus on maqom. The Maqom School holds several hundred students of school age, and several dozen talented teachers who are […]