An international symposium on “Ancestors and Echoes: Traditions of Turkic Musical Instrument Making and Modern Approaches” was held in Astana (Kazakhstan).
Modern.az reports that the symposium took place within the framework of the “World Music” (“Әlem Әуені”) International Art Festival, jointly organized by the Akimat of Astana city and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.
The aim of the symposium was the comprehensive study of musical instrument making traditions belonging to Turkic peoples, the identification of connections between ancient technologies and modern innovative approaches, as well as the creation of a scientific and practical cooperation platform bringing together masters and scholars, performers and researchers.
At the opening ceremony of the symposium, Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, addressed the participants, emphasizing that the unity of tradition and modernity creates broad opportunities for new research, technological approaches, and international scientific cooperation, and she valued the symposium as an important platform bringing together specialists in this field.
Subsequently, she acted as a moderator in the plenary sessions of the symposium, giving the floor in turn to the participants – Darhan Kydyrali, Senator of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, academician; Erlan Dakenov, Chairman of the Culture Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Eset Bayken, Deputy Akim of Astana city; Zhanar Shaimenova, Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ICESCO affairs; and Akos Gregor, Chief Advisor of the “Hungarian Heritage House”, Honored Artist of Hungary.
Within the framework of the symposium, a round table titled “Single Echo: Research on Turkic Musical Instruments and International Cooperation” was organized. The discussion focused on the study of the musical heritage of Turkic peoples and directions for expanding institutional cooperation in this field.
During the event, the book “National Musical Instruments of Turkic-speaking Countries,” published jointly by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and the Baku Music Academy named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, was presented, and the publication generated great interest. This book, prepared in four languages, was highly valued as an important source for the international recognition and scientific systematization of Turkic musical heritage.
As a result of the symposium, a joint Resolution was adopted by the event participants concerning the preservation, research, and transmission of the musical instrument making heritage of Turkic peoples to future generations. The document highlighted priority areas such as the creation of a unified scientific database for musical instruments, systematic research into traditional craftsmanship schools, the implementation of special courses on musical instrument making in educational programs, as well as digital archiving, 3D modeling, and the expansion of international scientific cooperation.
The Resolution also envisages the development of joint initiatives for broader international recognition of Turkic musical heritage within the framework of UNESCO and ICESCO, and expresses agreement on exploring the possibility of establishing a joint Association of Musical Instrument Masters of Turkic Peoples in this direction.
