The Palace of Fine Arts of Brussels hosted a concert of Kazakh musicians composed of “Turan” folklore and ethnographic ensemble, tenor Medet Chotabaev, pianist Dina Meirmanova, and cellist Talgar Tolkynkhanuly.
A part of the artists’ world tour, the musical event in Brussels was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union.
In his welcoming speech, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belgium Margulan Baimukhan thanked the guests for a genuine interest in Kazakh culture that gathered a large audience in BOZAR and extended his congratulations on the Easter holiday and the holy month of Ramadan.
The program, filled with folk music accompanied by ancient musical instruments such as kyl-kobyz, sybyzgy, dangyra, sherter and sazsyrnai, as well as classical works of Nurgisa Tlendiev and Abay Kunanbaiuly, Dauletkerey Shygaiuly, Giacomo Puccini, Gabriel Fauré, Ernesto De Kurtis and Stancilao Gastaldon, was well received by the audience, which offered the artists a standing ovation.
It was the first time the majority of the concert guests, composed of Brussels residents, cultural workers, and representatives of European and Belgian state and public institutions, heard traditional steppe music and saw the national Kazakh costumes and instruments.
The concert saw a premiere of “Crossroads”, a composition authored by the Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, pianist and composer Aktota Raimkulova, who performed the musical piece herself along with the musicians.