Aybek Ashirmatov

Violist/Kazakhstan

A member of the Kazakh State String Quartet, Aybek has been on the viola and string quartet faculty at the Kazakh National University of Arts (2012-2015).  He is a graduate of the Republic Special Music Academic Lyceum (2007), State Conservatory of Uzbekistan (2011) in viola, and the Music Academy of Basel (2012) in string quartet.  Aybek has served as principal violist in chamber orchestra “Turkistan,” chamber orchestra “Academy of Soloists,” and violist in the “Feruz” string quartet.  Aybek participated and performed in many international festivals and master classes with eminent musicians such as Gabor Takasz in France, Apollon Musagete quartet in Germany, Vladimir Spivakov, Yuri Simonov, Contemporary Music Festival Ilkhom in Uzbekistan, and Tongyeong International Music Festival in Korea.  He is the winner of numerous national republic competitions as a violist and, in 2008, Aybek participated in the ARD International String Quartet Competition in Munich, Germany, receiving “Prize Hope” with his quartet “Feruz.”  In 2010, his quartet received the Astana Grand Prix and the Goblet of President Nursultan Nazarbayev in the “SHABYT” String Quartet Competition in Kazakhstan.  Aybek speaks Russian, Uzbek, Kazakh, and English.