Alfia Nakipbekova

Biography

Alfia is an internationally acclaimed cellist – soloist, chamber musician and pedagogue. She studied with Rostropovich at the Moscow Conservatoire and also received a series of master classes with Daniil Shafran and Jacqueline du Pré. Alfia won several prizes at national and international competitions including the Special Award for Outstanding Mastery of the Cello at the Casals Competition in Budapest. As a soloist and chamber musician, Alfia has performed in numerous festivals in the UK, Europe, USA, Middle East, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong and has given cello and chamber music master classes in the UK and internationally. In 2012 Alfia was a member of the jury in the eighth Schubert and Modern Music Competition for Piano Trios at Graz Academy, Austria.

Alfia’s extensive discography includes major chamber music repertoire for solo cello, piano trio, cello/piano sonatas, cello/violin duos: the critically acclaimed recordings of Brahms, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Schubert, Martinù, Shostakovich, Granados, Ives, Cassadó, Turina and Ravel (Chandos); Hans Gál Complete Works for Cello (Toccata Classics). To mark Bach’s 250 Anniversary, from 1998 to 2000, Alfia performed a series of Bach Marathon recitals playing all six Bach Suites in one evening in major venues including St John Smith’s Square (London), Oxford, Brussels, Melbourne and West Cork Music Festivals. Recorded on the remote Orkney island Papa Westray in the 12th century St Boniface Kirk and released in 2009, her album of the JS Bach Six Suites was also favourably received by critics.

Alfia gained her Doctorate in Performance Practice from the University of Leeds. In her thesis titled ‘Performing Contemporary Cello Music: Defining the Interpretative Space’ she focuses on interpretation and technique in the works for solo cello by Iannis Xenakis, James Dillon and Liza Lim. She has published articles on the interdisciplinary approach to interpretation, performance and cello technique, and presented her research papers and lecture-recitals at international conferences worldwide, including the universities of Hong Kong, Radboud (Nijmegen), Birmingham, Bangor, York, Leeds, Rome, Athens, Norwegian Music Academy, Paris University 8, Goldsmiths, King’s College and Royal Academy of Music.

Alfia is the editor and contributor to the book Exploring Xenakis: Performance, Practice, Philosophy, (Vernon Press, 2019). In 2022 she was a member of the scientific committee for ‘Xenakis Centenary International Symposium’ (Athens & Nafplio). In May and October 2022, she also presented her papers and performed Xenakis’ works for cello at the International Conference on Contemporary Music, Brașov.

Alfia’s latest recording ‘David Popper 40 Etudes Op.73, High School of Cello Playing’ in two volumes will be released in February 2024 – the first album in a series of recordings dedicated to the broad range of cello technique, from Dotzauer, Piatti and Popper to contemporary studies Pro musica nova: Studien zum Spielen Neuer Musik, edited by Siegfried Palm.

‘She was wonderful, delivering one of the most beautiful, poignant performances of Elgar's concerto that I have ever witnessed in concert. She instantly captured the audience with her graceful, smooth style and delicate dexterity. Her technique seems flawless, with the easy, natural legato’. Margarita Mota-Bull. Performance of Elgar Cello Concerto with London Philharmonic Orchestra, Cadogan Hall

‘Nakipbekova has the technical mastery truly to realize her vision of these sublime masterpieces...These performances stand side-by side with the best.’ Stephen Greenbank. Recording of the JS Bach Six Cello Suites, WCM.

‘Alfia Nakipbekova plays superbly and with total conviction, creating many colours and dynamics from her instrument... In this totally convincing performance Hans Gál’s Cello Sonata lives again’. Colin Anderson.

‘It’s an incredible achievement... the wonderful thing is it really sounds like a performance, beyond the technical control, which is considerable; it has marvellous continuity, coherence but above all musical intensity and intelligence. I don't think it has ever had a more musical, indeed transcendental performance...’ James Dillon, 27 January 2020. Recording of Parjanya-vata (WCM).