St. Monica’s welcomes new music director

The people of Saint Monica’s, Cantonment are pleased to welcome Dr. Kadisha Onalbayeva as their new Music Director.  Dr. Onalbayeva was born in Kazakhstan and began her musical training at the age of five.  She attended the Jubanov Special School for Talented Children in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  While at Jubanov she studied piano and composition, gave piano recitals and was involved in both piano and composition festivals and competitions.  Awards include first prize in the Soviet Union’s New Talent competition, national piano competitions and Central Asia piano competitions.  She also participated in international music festivals in Yalta, Germany, Turkey, Russia and Uzbekistan.

After graduating from the Jubanov School, Kadisha entered the Kurmangazy National Conservatory of Music where she studied piano, composition, accompanying, chamber music and pedagogy.  She was awarded the President’s Award for Young Artists and Chevron’s Award for Talented Students in piano and composition.  In addition, she performed often as soloist with the Kazakh Philharmonic Orchestra, National Radio and Television Orchestra, National Opera Symphony Orchestra, National Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, and the National Folklore Orchestra.

Dr. Onalbayeva continued her activities as performer, composer and teacher following her graduation from the conservatory.  She received a Soros Prize for her work in development of international cultural exchanges.  This funded her first visit to America in January 2000.  In August 2003, she returned to the U.S. and earned her M.M in composition from the University of New Orleans in May, 2005 and in May, 2006, completed her M.M in piano performance.    While at U.N.O. she won the Southeastern Composers’ League graduate composition competition for her solo cello work, Think…Know…After…. She recently received her DMA in piano performance at Louisiana State University.

Throughout her career, Kadisha has been a strong supporter of new music.  She has continued performances of her music and has participated in international new music festivals as composer, performer and organizer throughout Central Asia, Austria, England, Kazakhstan, Russian, Uzbekistan, and Tatarstan. While in America she has participated in new music activities and performances of her works in Alabama, Louisiana (New Orleans, Slidell, Ruston, and Baton Rouge), South Carolina, North Carolina and Pensacola, Florida.  She has been particularly interested in introducing the music of Kazakhstan to America.

Dr. Onalbayeva is on the faculties of Pensacola State College and the University of Mobile where she teaches piano and composition.  She is also Artist-in-Residence at the University of Mobile where she recently received a commission to write a string quartet for the ensemble Vintage.  Dr. Onalbayeva is co-director and pianist of recently-formed chamber ensemble The Gulf Coast Virtuosi and in the spring of 2011, she will be performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Pensacola Civic Band.  She has lived in Pensacola, FL since May 2009 with her daughter Malika and husband – composer and pianist Dr. Michael Coleman.

Upcoming concerts include:
Sunday, August 29 at 2:30 p.m., UWF Recital Hall (music bldg) with  Leonid Yanovskiy on violin.
Sunday, Sept. 26 at 2:30 p.m; Pensacola State College Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium (Music Bldg)   Kadisha Onalbayeva piano with Patrick Jacobs baritone.