Chords and notes put listeners in thrall

On November 5, the halls of the National Museum filled with a gentle buzz, an anticipation that felt almost electric. Soft conversations drifted between families, students, musicians, and visitors from across the world, all gathered under the museum’s sweeping dome for a classical music evening held as part of the Russian “Musical Seasons” series at the National Museum, in collaboration with the Rosconcert Foundation and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. This night came as the second event in the “Musical Seasons” series hosted by the National Museum, which will continue until the end of this year.
When the lights dimmed, silence settled like a held breath. And then, with poised fingers hovering above the keys, Russian pianist Nail Mavliudov opened the evening with Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13. Each note landed with clean precision, rising and falling like a tide. His phrasing, imbued with both restraint and fire, carried the audience through Beethoven’s shifting moods, stormy in one passage, delicate in the next. It was a performance that made even the museum’s marble seem to warm with resonance.
Beside him, violinist Elena Tarosyan delivered a striking contrast yet perfect complement. Her entrance into Grieg’s Violin and Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 45 was fluid, her bow gliding before carving into the emotional currents Grieg composed. There was disciplined elegance in her technique, but beneath it ran a thread of raw intensity, the brooding Nordic spirit meeting the sensitive clarity of Russian artistry.

Together, the duo moved as if bound by a single pulse. In Tchaikovsky’s Meditation and the Russian Dance from Swan Lake, Elena’s violin soared with lyrical sweetness while Nail’s piano grounded her with steady, attentive accompaniment. Their musical conversation intensified in Waltz Scherzo, where the playful energy of Tchaikovsky lifted the room, heads swaying, eyes widening, and soft murmurs of awe rippling through the crowd.
Among those captivated was Sara al Zidjali, a research assistant at the German University of Technology (GUtech).
“It was exciting, and the performance was as good as it looked,” she said, still carrying the glow of the music. “People from different backgrounds, children, and people from all around the world gathered in one place. Beethoven was a highlight, I’m a fan, and the Russian Swan piece was really interesting to me.”
For others, the evening resonated on a professional and cultural level. Yahya bin Abdullah al Dhanki, Director of Muscat Academy for Music and Arts, and a former performer with the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, watched the musicians with the trained eye of someone who understands the weight behind every note.
“What we’re seeing today has an amazing history behind it,” he reflected. “It’s incredible. From things like this, we truly gain great experience. We see what the world has to offer. Hopefully, such events will also come on more quantities to our country so we can benefit from them. We already have many talented Omani musicians, especially on violin and piano, but concerts like these bring valuable experience from other countries to Oman.”

On the subject of cultural exchange, Yahya was unequivocal. “Music is the language of nations,” he said. “Wherever you are, music is with you. Many people have gotten to know each other through the simplest musical instrument or a piece of music, so imagine what it can do between countries. These partnerships refine our skills, our ideas, and they give us more passion and motivation.”
Sara shared the same sentiment. “It’s more than just music,” she said. “It’s like connecting souls and connecting cultures together. A lot of people are fond of music and they’re interested to hear this kind of music from all around the world. I think this could strengthen the relationship between countries and nations.”
By the time Nail and Elena played the final shimmering chord, applause filled the hall long before the last note fully faded. It was a response not only to the mastery of the performers but to the shared experience that had unfolded, a moment where cultural lines softened, and dialogue passed through melody instead of words.
As the “Musical Seasons” series continues at the National Museum through the end of the year, this concert stands as a reminder of how classical music, timeless, borderless, and deeply human, can gather strangers under one roof, stir collective emotion, and quietly weave nations closer together.