Summertime in the capital will be marked by the traditional concert Musical Holidays at Astana Opera. On July 26 and August 2, representatives of the new generation of talented Kazakh artists, students of leading national and foreign creative universities, whose skill and professionalism have been repeatedly awarded prizes at prestigious international competitions, will perform at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall, El.kz cites astanaopera.kz.
Thus, two bright soprano singers will present the vocal part of the evening on July 26. These are Aiym Askar, who is studying at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica “Gioachino Rossini” in the Italian city of Pesaro, and Marta Nabatova, a student of Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory.
The artists will perform world classical masterpieces, such as Susanna’s aria from Mozart’s opera Le Nozze di Figaro, Mimi’s aria from Puccini’s opera La Bohème, Agnès Sorel’s aria from Cui’s opera The Saracen, and Villa-Lobos’ Melodia Sentimental. Beloved national works, Mukan Tulebayev’s Baqyt Valsi and Gaziza Zhubanova’s Iz Travy Ya Vzletela (I Soared from the Grass...), to Olzhas Suleimenov verses, will be performed.
For Marta Nabatova, a laureate of many vocal competitions, as well as the republican competition “100 Names of the Youth of Kazakhstan”, this will be her second performance at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall as part of the series Musical Holidays at Astana Opera. For the singer, this popular project means the opportunity to perform in her homeland, where she does not come very often anymore, and to bring her hard work with her professors to the audience.
“Since we usually perform our entire repertoire outside our homeland, this concert is a chance for me to present my creative work to the listeners at my favourite opera house, since Astana Opera’s magnificent acoustics and interior are so inspiring. I selected the performance program according to how suitable the works are for my voice and how close they are to my soul. After all, music is, first and foremost, a person’s soul, and for me this criterion is important. I deeply love the arias of Mimi and Agnès Sorel and they have been a part of my program since recent semesters. They are quite complex because they have their own vocal requirements, such as the scope of the voice over the entire range and cantilena. And Gaziza Zhubanova’s work I Soared from the Grass...is not simple, but very sincere and full of zest. I performed it at chamber concerts in St. Petersburg, my professors love it, so the choice was not long in coming,” Marta Nabatova shares.
“Certainly, there is a special excitement before the performance in front of Kazakh viewers. Audiences are different everywhere, every performance means inner turmoil and overcoming yourself, and at the opera house it is no exception. I would like to convey to the audience all my feelings and emotions that I put into the works. And if I can touch the strings of the viewers’ souls, then for me this is already a victory,” the artist said.
It is important to note that talented instrumentalists will take the stage along with the vocalists. Flautist Kamilya Ismagulova, saxophonist Azhar Raimkhan and pianist Aisha Raimkhan came from the Gnessins Russian Academy of Music, pianist Mariya Shavtelskaya – from the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory, and from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory – trombonist Nurgalym Serikzhan and violinist Adelya Duissenbai (Academic Music School at the Conservatory).
This evening, a piano trio consisting of violinist Diana Ablayeva (Zhiganov Kazan State Conservatory), cellist Ilkham Aimbetov (Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory) and pianist Zhanna Zdornova (Kazakh National University of Arts) will demonstrate the nuanced art of ensemble performance to the listeners.
The rich and varied program, prepared by young artists for the performance in their homeland, includes famous classical works in the instrumental genre. Among them are: Rachmaninoff’s Moments Musicaux for Piano, Op. 16 Nos. 1, 2, 6 and Trio Élégiaque No. 2 in D minor for Piano, Violin and Cello, Op. 9, Part 1, Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28, and Waignein’s Rhapsody, Parts 2 and 3.
As part of the second concert Musical Holidays at Astana Opera on August 2, promising instrumentalists will delight classical music aficionados with their performances – percussionist Aidar Fazylov from Carnegie Mellon University, USA, violinist Diana Makazhan and pianist Batyrkhan Suleimen from the Moscow Conservatory, bassoonist Abylai Zhumake from Yankovsky Novosibirsk Special Music School, pianist Radiya Orazalinova and flautist Afina Mavidi from the Music School of the Gnessins Russian Academy of Music. Piano – Meruert Zhekenova, Lyazzat Kenzhina.
This evening the following works will be performed: Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28, Liszt’s Grandes Études de Paganini (No. 3 La Campanella, S. 141), Vogel’s Bassoon Concerto in C major, 1st movement, Ganne’s Andante et Scherzo, Brahms’ Intermezzo No. 2, Op. 118, Kapustin’s Concert Etudes, Op. 40 (No. 6 Pastoral), Weinberg’s Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes for Violin and Piano, Op. 47/1, Piazzolla’s Suite Histoire du Tango (No. 3 Nightclub 1960), Debussy’s Arabesque, Sejourne’s Losa.
Musical Holidays at Astana Opera is a significant project aimed at supporting young Kazakh performers. This is an important component of the opera house’s work. Such initiatives contribute to the advancement of promising artists. Thus, budding talents not only delight the audience with their creativity, but also gain inspiration and joy from meeting their compatriots. After all, every summer these young musicians come home after a busy school year, full of desire to see their native Kazakh viewers and share their achievements with them.