NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Opera will be hosting both festive and regular events in June, with young and established musicians getting a chance to showcase their talent.
Photo credit: Astana Opera.
The festive concert “Children are invited to the theatre,” dedicated to International Children’s Day, will be held 3 p.m., June 1, and 11:30 a.m., June 10. Astana Opera children’s theatre studio artists will present solo and collective performances by students from its choral and ballet studios with choirmasters Altynganym Akhmetova and Aigerim Makibaeva, concertmasters Irina Kurguzkina and Elmira Sultangazina and choreographer Amina Aliyeva. The children will be joined by adult artists for concert programmes and performances such as “Kyz Zhibek” by Brusilovsky, “Birzhan – Sara” by Tulebayev, “La Boheme,” “Tosca” and “Turandot” by Puccini, “Carmen” by Bizet, “Eugene Onegin” by Tchaikovsky and “Notre Dame de Paris” by Jarre.
The “Rainbow of Talents” concert from the “Hooray Holidays” series will be presented 3 p.m., June 2. Kazakh National University of the Arts students, as well as those from the city’s music schools, will perform on the stage of the Astana Opera Chamber Hall. Many are recipients of prestigious international awards, such as Alina Alzhanova (bassoon), Nurmukhamed Estekov (French horn), Ertay Mamyrbekov (xylophone), Arina Serebrennikova (flute) and Pavel Tsvettsikh (clarinet).
The State String Quartet will take the stage 7 p.m., June 6. The Gaziza Zhubanova quartet will present the Kui in Harmony with Classics concert from the Kazakh quartet Invites cycle, and dombra (Kazakh national instrument akin to a guitar) virtuoso Adilzhan Tolukpaev will perform as a guest. The programme will also include String Quartet No. 20 in D major by Mozart and String Quartet No. 2 in D major by Alexander Borodin. The string quartet includes Aydar Toktaliev (first violin), Alexey Lebedev (second violin), Bekzat Saylaubayuly (viola) and artistic director Yernar Myntayev (cello).
A solo concert featuring violinist Akbike Algi, laureate of the 10th Pyotr Tchaikovsky International Youth Competition, will be presented 6 p.m., June 8. Works by Bach, Chopin, Khachaturian, Liszt, Rakhmaninov and Ravel and an essay by Kazakh composer Gaziza Zhubanova will be featured in the classics portion of the concert. The centre of the programme will be the Sonata for violin and piano No. 3 in D minor by Brahms, which musicologists have dubbed the “four-part symphony in miniature.” The piano parts will be played by Ilyas Uzbekov and Sergey Vasilyev. The Year of Youth concert will be one of the projects aimed at supporting and developing young talents.
“Musical Watercolours” will be performed 7 p.m., June 12. The interpretation of vocal and instrumental music will be presented by leading Astana Opera soloists Aigul Niyazova and Zhan Tapin, as well as the Turan Youth String Quartet, which won the Grand Prix at the Shabyt Festival. The quartet includes Meirzhan Kenesbayev (first violin), Ayia Gabbasova (second violin), Leonid Mysovsky (viola) and Bagzhan Yesirkep (cello). The piano part will be played by international competition laureate Raushan Beskembirova. The night will feature vocal cycles, romances and songs of 20th-century composers such as Mikael Tariverdiev’s “Watercolours” vocal cycle to poems by Japanese medieval poets, “The Seasons” by Strigotsky-Pak, In Imitation of Albenisu by Rodion Shchedrin, String Quartet No. 2 in D major by Borodin, works by Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich and songs from vocal cycles by Zara Levin and others.
Capital residents and guests will be treated 7 p.m., June 20, to the Quintet and Even More concert, offering a variety of chamber-instrumental ensemble music. Diyar Kasenov and Sholpan Mankeev (violin), Leonid Mysovsky and Birzhan Uteuliyev (alto), Bagzhan Yesirkep (cello), Almas Tokpanov (clarinet), Kalkman Dyusembayev (horn) and Ulan Kulmam (piano). Works for string and wind chamber ensembles will include Quintet for horn, violin, two violas and cello in E flat major, String Quintet No. 3 in C major (part one – Allegro) and Quintet for clarinet and strings in A major Stadler (part one – Allegro) by Mozart and Piano Quintet No. 1 in C minor (first movement) and Sextet for violin, viola, cello, clarinet, horn and piano in C major by Ernő Donanie.
The capital Akimat (city administration) State Academic Philharmonic Chamber Choir will perform with concert programme “Mongіl Mіra,” 7 p.m., June 25. The evening will feature works of Kazakh choral classics – all favourite folk songs and works of outstanding Kazakh composers such as Aqan Serі Koramsauly, Bіrzhan Sal Kozhagululy, Kurmanghazy, Muhit Merelіuly, Abay Segіz Serі, Myra Ualiqyzy Yestay and Ukіlі Ybyray. The concert artistic director will be Honoured Art Worker, conductor Gulmira Kuttybadamova and choirmaster Yerzhan Sansyzbayev.
