On July 7, the Astana Opera became the center of attraction for famous artists from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bashkortostan and Kazakhstan, El.kz cites astanaopera.kz.
Within the framework of the Operaliya International Festival, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the soloists presented a diverse program that was a great success among the residents and guests of the capital, who greeted it with thunderous applause.
The Toibastar scene from Akhmet Zhubanov and Latyf Khamidi’s opera Abai performed by Tatyana Vitsinskaya and Dinmukhamed Koshkinbayev opened the wonderful evening. The celebrated baritone Azamat Zheltyrguzov masterfully presented another famous aria from this legendary opera – Abai’s aria “Qai Talqy Qul Aldyna Qurylmaghan…”.
Soprano singers Munzifa Isoeva from Tajikistan, Alfiya Karimova from Bashkortostan, tenors Aibek Saralaev from Kyrgyzstan, Aboskhon Rakhmatullayev from Uzbekistan, Sayan Issin, sopranos Madina Islamova, Ulpan Aubakirova and others took part in the concert. Three Maestros took the conductor’s podium – Ruslan Baimurzin, Elmar Buribayev and Koki Yang from China.
Although Maestro Koki Yang was born in Japan, he lived and worked in China until a certain time, and then he moved to Vienna. His career is developing in the most successful way, with the tour schedule including different countries, but he never refuses to perform in Kazakhstan. Incidentally, this is not the first time the conductor takes the stage at the Astana Opera. The capital’s audience is familiar with his work from performances at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall, and he takes the Grand Hall stage for the first time. The audience especially admired a Chinese melody arranged for a symphony orchestra, which sounded virtuoso under the direction of the young Maestro.
“It felt great to come back to Astana again, especially this time for such an occasion. I also felt proud to participate in this concert as a Chinese conductor. The piece “Jasmine Flower” is actually a Chinese folk song from Jiangsu province, which has been widely known for centuries. It has always been a symbol for China. I chose this piece because it is also one of the most famous medleys from Puccini’s Turandot”, the conductor noted.
The audience also admired other premiere performances of the Gala Opera – an Uzbek song “Maftun Buldim” (“Charmed by You”) to the music by Mutal Burhonov and the lyrics by Turab Tula, performed by Aboskhon Rakhmatullaev, Muratbek Begaliev’s song “Ysyk-Koldu Sagynuu” to the lyrics by Chinghiz Aitmatov, soulfully conveyed by Ulpan Aubakirova. Munzifa Isoeva presented the Tajik song “Muhabbat” to the music by Ziyodullo Shahidi and the lyrics by Aminjan Shokuhi.
Alfiya Karimova performed the classical repertoire this evening.
“It was a pleasure to perform again at the Astana Opera, my native opera house, where I sang for 9 seasons, starting from its foundation. I fondly remember many opera premieres, where I performed the main parts: La Traviata, Il Matrimonio Segreto, Carmina Burana, L’Elisir d’Amore, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Bohème and Carmen. Certainly, it was my pleasure to accept the invitation of the opera house’s general management to participate in the Gala Concert at the Operaliya International Festival. I looked forward to meeting with the Astana Opera’s top-level symphony orchestra and choir, with whom I have long-term friendship and creative collaboration. Today at the concert I presented Manon’s gavotte from Massenet’s eponymous opera and the Flower Duet from Delibes’ opera Lakmé with the wonderful mezzo-soprano Tatyana Vitsinskaya. The reason festivals are valuable is because in addition to dear colleagues with whom you have repeatedly worked onstage, new connections await you, which, I am sure, will develop into fruitful cooperation. For example, it was very interesting for me to sing for the first time with the Maestro from China Koki Yang,” Alfiya Karimova said after the concert.
The evening turned out to be really eventful, which is understandable, because a large team headed by stage director Yerenbak Toikenov, principal choirmaster Yerzhan Dautov, the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra and Choir worked on it. Its culmination was the endless applause given by the audience to all the participants of the concert.