By Heidi Trautmann
From the very beginning I have been following Rauf
Kasimov and his piano students, have been to all of their concerts. Some of his
early students are now grown-up and have chosen a music career; it gives me joy
and satisfaction to see how an early music education as with Rauf Kasimov has
taken them this far.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought a brutal
stop to cultural life, but we heard, as Rauf Kasimov at the end of the concert
said: these children, my students, cannot be stopped, they want to perform,
need to show what they have learnt. Because music is an exchange between
musician and audience, they both need each other. I totally agree.
The last time I met Rauf and his students was in 2018 in
Bellapais and 2019 in Karmi and on a Sunday trip to Karpaz Marina where they
gave a concert for their parents and friends and the boat people. I have added
the links for you to see the last activities with photos.
http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=1756455627#.YVFgFrgzaUk
http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=4364516311#.YVFiUbgzaUk
http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=1273732883#.YVFjGbgzaUk
Finally, with some excitement, we had them again on stage,
last Sunday, 25 September 2021 in Bellapais, 15 students, some new faces, some
new talents…. please refer to their names and their age on the list attached
separately. With those students who have been present in previous concerts, I
could realize an enormous step forward; music has taken possession of them, is
in their entire system and we saw them play with their ‘whole body’, you could
see it, they were no longer the shy young students bowing before the audience,
they became a completely new person bowed over the piano keys. It is a process
which can only be reached through a highly professional education.
The audience showed their joy and pride and stayed on to
congratulate the young musicians. I have to repeat myself again: ‘As long as we
have young people like these and teachers who with such compassion and love
take care of them, we still have hope for the future of this world….’