Leading Astana Opera soloists Zhupar Gabdullina and Dina Khamzina recently traveled to the legendary Theatre La Scala in Milan to train with renowned La Scala instructors and to learn more about opera.
From Sept. 22 to Sept. 26, the singers were rehearsing their roles as Aida and Amneris from John Verdi’s opera “Aida,” which will premiere at the Astana Opera in November.
The leading soloists will receive intensive training that will last for six hours per day.
Gabdullina noted that there are many components to the training programme.
“We strive to make each performance better than the last. They currently are imposing very tough requirements on singers, but we must not forget that there are lots of opportunities for singers to improve. In order to achieve the desired result, we are going to the homeland of opera to undergo training at La Scala, as many great singers have done,” Gabdullina commented.
“Our theatre is world class and we need to reach the same level it has. Another thing that can develop our skills are our classes with the best teachers, conductors and directors. I very much hope that this training will help me in my role as Aida, who is a very complex character. We will be working on nuances of the part, as well as text, hone rhythm and tempo moments. Since my childhood, I have dreamed of getting an internship at La Scala, so I can happily say that dream has come true,” she said.
The opera singers said that training at the La Scala academy will mark a new stage in their creative and vocal careers.
“Sometimes I say to myself that I want to know my profession like I know that two times two equals four, but our field is not that cut and dry, there is always something new. I think that teachers will help us reveal ourselves and our inner potential through painstaking work. The atmosphere and the aura of the famous Milan theatre foster creativity and improvement,” Khamzina said.
“The forge” of opera singers, La Scala Vocal School, was established in 1991. Today, the academy is a school that offers refresher courses for all disciplines related to theatrical arts.
In addition to training, the academy runs a professional advising centre and a special department for developing programmes of cultural cooperation and research programmes. The academy is a private Italian organisation that has been operating for more than 10 years in developing research projects to improve teaching and learning techniques based on projects that have been used in conjunction with other international institutions.
