NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Opera House will present Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida” on July 11-12 to close its eighth theater season, according to the theater’s press service.
A scene from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida.” Photo credit: Astana Opera House.
The opera features Sayan Isin, a soloist from Kyrgyzstan, who will perform Radamès and Badral Chuluunbaatar, a baritone from Mongolia, who plays Amonasro. Astana Opera’s leading soloist Zhupar Gabdullina will perform the title role.
Chuluunbaatar said that it is a great honor for him to play in the Kazakh theater. The soloist performed this same part at Italy’s Arena di Verona in 2019.
“I will sing on July 11th. This is our national Mongolian holiday – the 100th anniversary of the Day of the People’s Revolution. I wish all my colleagues, who participate in this opera, success, and I’m grateful to all Kazakh people and the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan for their support and love for classical music,” he added.
Two hundred people are involved in the production including soloists, choir, ballet dancers, and orchestra.
This season, the theater hosted the major premieres despite the pandemic related restrictions. It includes the premiere of Gaetano Donizetti’s operas “Don Pasquale” and “L’Elisir d’Amore” and the national contemporary ballet “The Call of the Steppe” to the music of Kazakh composers.
Maestro Alan Buribayev presented the premieres of the new concert programs – “Through the Pages of Opera Classics,” “Moliere, Voltaire and Beaumarchais or the Creators of French Comedy,” and a program based on Richard Wagner’s tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen.”
On July 4, the Astana Opera International Opera Academy opened at the theater. In addition to vocal studies, students will also attend other classes for professional growth. Students have the opportunity to take part in the productions and concert programs at the chamber hall.
Overall, the theater held more than 180 events, nine open-air concerts and 30 exhibitions this season.
The new season is scheduled in September. The list of premiers includes Jiří Kylián’s ballet “Sechs Tänze,” Gyula Harangozó’s ballet “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” to Tibor Kocsák’s music, Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev’s national opera “Alpamys,” Domenico Cimarosa’s opera “Il Matrimonio Segreto” and other events.
