Anjelika Rosenbaum Akbar / Composer and Pianist Anjelika Akbar as a composer has a more than 400 compositions, including pieces for Symphonic and Chamber orchestra, Piano Concerts, songs, chorus, instrumental neo-classical music and music for ethnic and crossover groups. She was born in Kazakhstan into a family of a musician-philosopher father and a musician mother. Her genes may be the reason for her outlook on life which is not just musical but also philosophical. She could play the piano and read music at the age of two and a half Anjelika began taking private lessons when she was 3 years old. Her first maestro was V.Lipovetsky, one of the founders of the Chinese Harbin Conservatory and a teacher at Moscow Conservatory. At the age of 4, Anjelika Akbar was discovered to have an *Absolute Pitch and at the age of four and a half came to theattention of theMoscow State Conservatory .She was admitted to the school for gifted children of the same conservatory. She continued her education at the Tashkent division of the same school. (Uspkensky State Music School- offering 11 year-education for gifted children). * The ability of identifying a musical note when heard without receiving any external reference. When the famous Russian composer, Andrei Eshpai, heard the 5 year old Anjelika’s compositions from her father, thinking that these pieces belonged to him, said to him “Sir, you are very talented and you will have a very successful composing career.” The unique trait of the school for gifted children was that lessons were taught by the most brilliant professors of the conservatory. Like the world-renowned Alexei Sultanav and Stanislav Yudenich, Anjelika Akbar claimed her place amongst the best students of the school. She studied her 11-year long piano and composition education in the classes of Ass. Prof. V. Fadeyeva, Prof. A. Berlin and Prof. B. Zeydman of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. She entered Tashkent State Conservatory where she studied for 5 years. Anjelika completed her education, studying composition and orchestration with Prof. Berlin and Prof. Yanov-Yanovsky; the piano with Prof. L. Plushenko and the organ with the famous organist T. Levina. Russian (old USSR) Union of Composers has recognized Anjelika Akbar as the “Best Young Composer”. A first in USSR, she was granted with an exclusive scholarship to receive her bachelor’s and master’s degree in any conservatory in Europe. Yet she refused this offer, for she was about to get married at that time. The Russian Union of Composers consisted of individuals who well-recognized the matchless role played by music, serving to safeguard musicality for society. Anjelika Akbar has become a member of the Ukraine branch of the Union in 2006. Affiliating with the Union facilitates publishing the works of composeror performing in concerts.It also meant for members to merit the title of “Honorary Artist” their rewarded by the Ministry of Culture. Anjelika Akbar has completed her Master’s Degree in Composition and Orchestra Conductorship in Turkey where she arrived as a UNESCO member and stayed permanently, receiving “Degree for Proficiency in Art” after submitting her thesis in the class of Ass. Prof. Turgay Erdener on the subject of the Russian composer A. Skriabin’s “Analysis of Selected Piano Works in Harmonic, Melodic, Rhythmic, Formal and Philosophical Aspects” and composing “Symphony No.1” in Hacettepe State Conservatory. (“Proficiency in Art” is the equivalent of a Doctorate for composers.) Besides the composition collaboration she had with Prof. İlhan Baran and Ass. Prof. Ertuğ Korkmaz and 20. Century Harmony, Ass. Prof. İstemihan Taviloğlu and Ass. Prof. Turgay Erdener, she also had the role of Founding Faculty Member at the Ankara University State Conservatory. Anjelika Akbar studied vocal lessons with the Famous Turkish Soprano Selma Berk and Dutch Soprano Djoke Winkler Prins well known in Europe; she also engaged in consultation with the notable Turkish Opera Artist Melek Çeliktaş and Otilia Radulescu İpek. She has been working with a Türkish Composer Ali Darmar since 2003. Anjelika Akbar published her first album “Su” (Water) featuring her preludes in 1999. The same year she composed the songs of Can Dündar’s documentary “Village Institutes” . A first in the world, the solo piano adaptation of Vivaldi’s “Four Season” violin concertos was published by Sony Music International in 2002, making its way to the Sony Classical catalogue as the first ever Turkish Classical Music album in the catalogue. Again in 2002, Anjelika Akbar co-performed the “bir’den Bir’e” album with Rana Erkan and Zara. She launched her “Bach A L’ Orientale” album in 2003 where she fused the works of Bach with oriental instruments. Regarding this album, she commented, “This is not a musical experiment, but a need of the new age. I wanted the “music”of the people to embrace each other before people actually embraced each other.” “Bir Yudum Su” (A Sip of Water), an album including the artist’s compositions and arrangements was released in November, 2005. Her latest albums “Raindrops by Anjelika” and “My Turkiye” were released in 2009 and 2010 by Universal Music Taxim Edition and Rezonans Music. The International Adventure Therapy Committee play “Raindrops by Anjelika” during spiritual and psychological therapy sessions. In 2011 she has produced a classical music album named “Likafoni” and includes Chopin, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Brahms, Skriabin and Piazzolla. She performed the world premiere of the Piano Concerto No.1 titled “Sevgi Çemberi” (Circle of Love) during the introductory concert of the10th International CRR (Cemal Reşit Rey) Piano Festival. Her Symphonic Poem “Kutsal İmler” (The Sacred Signs) composed for ‘Indian Instruments Group and Symphonic Orchestra’ was performed by the Symphonic Orchestra at the world premiere in AKM, conducted by Antonio Pirolli. Her tribute composition for Atatürk, called “Güneşin Doğduğu Ufuk-Piyano ve Senfonik Orkestra için Rapsodi” (The Horizon where the Sun Rises - Rhapsody for Piano and The Symphonic Orchestra) was performed by the Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Rengim Gökmen as a world premier. The album was printed as a limited edition and as a special prestige project by Eczacıbaşı Culture and Arts Foundation. Anjelika Akbar performed in countless concerts in Russia, France, Germany, Baltic Countries, Middle Asia, India, TRNC, Katar and Turkey. Aslo she has had hundreds of magazine,T.V.,Radio and newpaper interviews, including many cover subject. The musical notes of the “Album for the Youth” featuring 12 compositions for the piano (Anjelika Akbar- Rosenbaum Album Pour La Jeunesse) was published in France, in 2006 by EMR/ Paris. Anjelika Akbar is the holder of many awards, some of them are: Moscow “Sobesednik” Press Award; “Cantata for Symphonic Orchestra and Youth Chorus’’ USSR Ethnic Music Award ; “Russian suite” for Chamber Orchestra; “Golden Lenin Award” Tashkent State Conservatory ( for three consecutive years); Uzbekistan “Best Young Composer” Award; USSR Union of Composers “Best Young Composer” Award. The composer, Ali Darmar says “Her music is extremely lyrical, mystic and melodic; following a cosmic- rooted philosophy with a musical structure that renders all these features apparent. She is able to employ all techniques appropriate for the content (tonal, atonal and modal at times). Her works are notably characterized as polyrhythmic in the sense of rhythmic structure...” The music of the documentary “The Transition”, which was directed by Aslı Ceyda Kılıçkıran and which will be released in 2009-2010 during the most prestigious film festivals in America and Europe, was also composed by Anjelika Akbar. She is at present working as a writer of books. Her first book (Stories of Basha) was realeased in Russia (Moscow) in 2005, and then in Turkey (Istanbul) in 2008 . Her last book ( My Turkiye – İçimdeki Türkiyem) was released in Turkey in December of 2010. She performs Classic compositions on her latest album “Likafoni”, has released on 18th of March 2011. Anjelika Akbar is married and is the mother of 2 children. .