[2] Concerto Grosso N1 is dedicated to renowned Soviet-born Canadian cellist, conductor and music educator[3][4][5] Yuli Turovsky, whom Ichmouratov considered a mentor[6] and with whom collaborated on multiple occasions.

[7][8] Ichmouratov's "Fantastic Dances" for clarinet, cello and piano with Strings and percussion were commissioned and recorded by Yuli Turovsky & I Musici de Montreal.

[10] In 2011, replacing Yuli Turovsky at short notice, Ichmouratov conducted I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra on tour in USA,[11] Brazil[12] and Peru.

The clarinet then takes center stage, imbuing the motif with a full-throated lament, marked by the expressive directive "doloroso," signifying profound sadness.

This musical narrative escalates to a frenzied climax, characterized by the intense tones of the klezmer clarinet, which soon undergoes further development, eventually leading to the triumphant return of the exuberant central theme.

[20] Carlos Maria Solare of The Strad wrote: "The first movement of Ichmouratov’s Concerto grosso no.1 could be a rewrite of its opposite number in Prokofiev’s ‘Classical’ Symphony, albeit with a more heart-on-sleeve lyrical subject than the older composer might have countenanced".