Portfolio

Two musicians from Tatarstan

The duo, comprising Yulia Gubaydullina and Aliya Iskhakova, began in 2012 as a chamber music ensemble of the Kazan State Conservatory. Over the next three years, Aliya and Yulia delved into the world of classical European music, studying sonatas by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, and Szimanowski under the guidance of Kazan Conservatory's esteemed teachers, Faina Starateleva and Olga Pyatnitskaya. This journey from the heart of Tatarstan to the cultural melting pot of the Netherlands is a testament to their passion and dedication.

In 2018, the duo revived in the Netherlands, where both musicians moved to continue their education. The Netherlands is a multicultural country with many different nations and traditions. However, almost nobody knows of Tatarstan and its capital, Kazan, the Tatar nation, its culture, traditions and music. Despite this, Yulia and Aliya have dedicated themselves to introducing people in Europe to their culture and promoting the beautiful music of Tatar composers.

Since this time, the duo has chosen the name – Duo Mong. Mong (tat. Моң) is a Tatar word, untranslatable to any other languages. However, its meaning conveys the national characteristics of the Tatar people and their perception of the world. More generally, it can be translated as melancholy, heartiness and lyricism. The choice of this name reflects our mission to share the unique cultural and emotional essence of Tatar music with the world.

Yulia Gubaydullina - violin

Yulia Gubaydullina is a violinist with a passion for playing in orchestras and chamber music ensembles. She studied the violin at Kazan State Conservatory under Vadim Afanasyev, where she obtained her bachelor's degree in 2010. In 2009, Yulia joined the orchestra of the Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. Besides performing in operas and ballets, Yulia fell in love with chamber music and performed it extensively.

In 2018, Yulia embarked on a new chapter in her career by moving to the Netherlands to pursue further education. She completed her master's degree in violin performance at Utrecht Conservatory in 2020 (under Hebe Mensinga).

Currently, Yulia regularly appears in professional orchestras, including the Residentie Orchestra, Het Ballet Orkest, Zuid Philharmonic Orchestra, and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. She continues to perform in orchestral and chamber music settings, bringing her passion, expertise, and dedication to every performance.

Aliya Iskhakova - piano

Born in 1991 and raised in Kazan, the Tatarstan Republic of Russia, Aliya started her musical journey at seven years old, embarking upon piano studies that would connect the next 17 years. Chamber music and correpetition lessons ran alongside from 2006 to 2010, after which Aliya would study at the Kazan State Conservatory under the guidance of renowned pianist Evgeni Mikhailov, répétiteur Yuzefina Sokolskaya, and chamber music teachers Faina Starateleva and Olga Pyatnizkaya.

In 2015, Bart Van De Roer took Aliya on as a student at Codarts Hogeschool voor de kunsten, and two years later, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam would call the young pianist to delve into a range of master classes from globally established musicians; Pavel Gililov, Konstantin Lifshitz and Stefan Kovacevich, to name just a few. These early influences, combined with the teachings of her last piano tutor Naum Grubert, undoubtedly helped shape Aliya’s musical prowess, ultimately leading her towards the unrivalled embrace of a live audience.

Now noting dozens of festival performances from Russia to the Netherlands and Belgium, Aliya’s breathtaking displays have gripped audiences far and wide, seeing her take home dozens of first, second and thirds prizes at respected European competitions, such as the YPF piano competition, and France’s International Piano Competition. Along the way, Aliya has acquired grants and scholarships from multiple noteworthy foundations; her talent and work ethic help her career flourish. Backed by years of performing in various chamber music groups, Aliya now works exclusively as a professional pianist and performer within Duo Mong (with violinist Yulia Gubaydullina) and Aida Duo (with singer Antonia Dunjko). For Duo Mong, Aliya celebrates and introduces the unique sound of Tatar Classical Music, delivering sensational performances whilst inspiring a compassionate and forever versatile approach.