By Heidi Trautmann

We have missed him and his piano students,  we have missed to see the progress his students have made since we last heard them; the last concert with his students was in October 2012. We have grown fond of the young people and would like to be kept up with the development in their education. 

Over the last years some of them have taken up further education at a conservatoire, but new buds have appeared on the tree of music, buds that Rauf Kasimov helps developing.

Four new names appear in the announcement, at least they are new to me: Bartas Balabaner, Onur Zaifoğlu, Yaroslaw Kwiatkowski, Svetlana Timashova. 

We do know the others from the last concerts: Suna Alsançak, Ipek Zorba, Ismet Ersalıçı, Miriam Marancos, Cemile Özçan, Batu Özgün, Ilke Aslim, Buket Dansiak and Erol Emmiroğlu.

You remember how Suna Alsançak, five years old, had to be helped onto the stool in front of the Bösendorfer for her recital?  How charmed we were of her play? You must now listen to her.

Rauf Kasimov is proud of his team. He takes pride in his work and over the years, we know, he has undertaken all efforts to help his young talents on their way to a well-founded professional life. We remember Görsev Tepe and Erol Emmiroğlu whom he had taken to important international competitions who have won their first international recognition and awards.

I must not say more, I will go and listen to them on 17 November 2013 at the Bellapais Abbey.

Rauf Kasimov has been offered and taken on a position at the Near East University as piano teacher and hopefully he will find other talented young people he can take under his wings. Please read my interview with him I have done some years ago, and learn how he had started his musical life on my website under Cyprus Art News No. 169.

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