On May 22, the British label Clarinet & Saxophone Classics released the album 'Contemporary Uzbek Music for Clarinet and Piano', the first commercial album fully dedicated to Uzbek clarinet and piano repertoire.

The album features works by Uzbek composers: Mustafo Bafoyev, Sherzod Sobirov, Nurali Erkayev, Habibulla Rahimov, Anvar Ergashev, and Farrux Akramov. Some pieces were written specifically for Uzbek clarinetist Sayyod Mirzomurodov.

Sayyod was born in the Surkhandarya region in a musical family. He moved to Tashkent in the fifth grade to study clarinet at the Uspensky Specialized Music School, later graduating from the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan.

In 2017, he received a grant for a master's program at the University of Northern Iowa (USA). He is currently completing his doctorate. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, and the Princess Galyani Vadhana International Music Festival in Bangkok.

In 2025, he won first place at the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition in New York, performing Nurali Erkayev's 'Sonata-Fantasy' at Carnegie Hall.

The album idea originated during Sayyod's conservatory years. In his doctoral program, he chose to record a CD instead of a dissertation. The pieces were recorded in December 2025 at the University of Iowa's Voxman Music Building.

Sayyod covered most production costs himself. He sought support from the Ministry of Culture and the Culture and Arts Development Fund, but was denied due to lack of funds.

The album is available for purchase on the label's website as a CD for $13, and on streaming platforms including Amazon, Yandex Music, Apple Music, and YouTube.

Source: www.gazeta.uz