On 9 April 2026, the Musikverein in Vienna (Austria) will host the premiere concert performance of George Frideric Handel’s opera Tamerlano in a version created at the initiative of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF). Previously presented in a fully staged format, the Vienna performance will mark the work’s first presentation as an independent concert version, conceived as a standalone academic musical statement.
Composed in 1724, Tamerlano is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Handel’s operatic legacy. The opera is distinguished by its intense dramaturgical concentration, complex vocal architecture, and highly charged musical dialogue—qualities that make it particularly compelling in the concert format, where the expressive power of the score comes to the fore.
The project’s distinctive artistic identity is shaped by the musical interpretation of Kirill Richter, developed as part of the original production. Engaging with Handel’s Baroque foundation, the composer offers a contemporary reading of the score, organically enriching it with national intonations and modern musical thinking. This approach deepens the drama of the work while preserving a respectful dialogue with the original composition.
The concert version returns to the core essence of the opera—its musical structure. At the center of attention are the orchestral score, choral episodes, and solo vocal lines, which reveal the inner dramaturgy of the work and allow Tamerlano to be heard in its pure classical form. The performance will be sung in Italian.
The concert will feature the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan conducted by Alibek Kabdurakhmanov, as well as the Honoured Choral Ensemble of the Republic of Uzbekistan under the direction of Gulnara Malikova. The solo roles will be performed by leading international opera singers.
The premiere concert performance of Tamerlano in Vienna represents a significant event in international concert practice. It underscores the contemporary relevance of classical operatic heritage beyond the theatrical stage and demonstrates the high level of Uzbekistan’s performing tradition in dialogue with leading international soloists on one of Europe’s most prestigious academic music stages.
Music: George Frideric Handel
Contemporary interpretation: Kirill Richter
Conductor: Alibek Kabdurakhmanov
About the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)
The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and development of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage, arts, and creative industries. Positioned at the forefront of the country’s cultural development, ACDF seeks to foster a sustainable cultural ecosystem, stimulate the creative economy, and provide opportunities for cultural practitioners at local, regional, and global levels.
ACDF firmly believes that culture and heritage play a vital role in shaping societies, strengthening communities, connecting generations, and fostering intercultural dialogue.
The Foundation successfully organized the Fourth World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) in October 2024 in Tashkent and the first Aral Culture Summit in April 2025 in Nukus, Karakalpakstan. ACDF also led Uzbekistan’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (April–October 2025) and is spearheading the revival of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Tashkent, the construction of the new National Museum of Uzbekistan designed by Tadao Ando, as well as the restoration and partial reconstruction of the Palace of Grand Duke Romanov.
In addition, ACDF launched “Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI”, an ongoing research project dedicated to documenting and protecting the city’s modernist architecture. Two major publications have been released within this initiative in collaboration with Rizzoli New York (November 2024) and Lars Müller Publishers (May 2025).
In Bukhara, ACDF inaugurated the first Bukhara Biennial in September 2025. In Samarkand, the Foundation hosted the 43rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference (30 October–13 November 2025).
To date, ACDF has attracted more than 3.5 million visitors through landmark exhibitions in 17 countries, ranging from the Louvre and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the British Museum in London, and the Palace Museum in Beijing. Through projects across Europe, Asia, and the Gulf region, and partnerships with over 40 international museums and cultural institutions, the Foundation amplifies the voices and narratives of Uzbekistan on the world’s most influential cultural platforms.
Kirill Richter
Kirill Richter is a pianist and composer who gained wide recognition through his series of piano waltzes entitled On the Way to the Beloved City. The deliberate simplicity of these works made a strong impression on audiences and revealed the composer’s distinctive artistic voice—marked by sincerity, energy, and emotional immediacy. Since 2019, Richter has collaborated closely with the Origen Festival Cultural in Riom, Switzerland, where he also lives and works. For the festival, he presented Russian Requiem (2019), Babylonian Songs (2022), and Seven Centuries (2023).
National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan
Founded in 1938, the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan enjoys an excellent international reputation and has toured extensively in Thailand, Russia, Germany, and France. The orchestra has built a wide and diverse audience thanks to its broad repertoire and regularly performs with leading figures of the international classical music scene, including Andrea Bocelli, Alessandro Safina, José Carreras, Anna Netrebko, Maxim Vengerov, Behzod Abduraimov, and Vladimir Sverdlov-Ashkenazy.
The orchestra plays a significant role in fostering cultural cooperation and promoting international cultural understanding. Its Principal Conductor is Alibek Kabdurakhmanov.