Audience in Poland sang along to Kazakh songs
The Astana Opera Choir performed songs by Kazakh composers on Polish soil with great success. The famous team went to this country to participate in the prestigious Hajnówka International Competition, held in the city of Białystok on May 26. The singers not only performed brilliantly at the competition, winning first place, but also gave a grand recital of music by Kazakh composers on May 27 in Warsaw as part of the tour, El.kz cites astanaopera.kz.
Poland greeted the Kazakh team with warm and sunny weather and gave the collective a really hearty welcome. In turn, the Astana Opera Choir introduced the Europeans to selected works written for the choir from the national musical heritage. In particular, these are Gaziza Zhubanova’s Zhalghyz Yemen, Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev’s Chorale, Mynzhassar Mangitayev’s Qyrmandaghy Aitys from the suite Chants of Karatau, Bakhytzhan Baikadamov’s Kokek, Serikzhan Abdinurov’s Kui, Alibi Abdinurov’s Quyrmash, as well as a medley of Kazakh songs, folk song Yapurai and many other national works.
It should be noted that the popularization of Kazakh music on foreign tours is one of the main tasks implemented by the Astana Opera. This is not the first performance of the Kazakh choir in Poland. When the creative team visited this country for the first time, they performed several works by Kazakh composers and caused a sensation here. Now the Polish side itself has taken the initiative to hold a concert of Kazakh national music. And it was a memorable day when the Polish audience was immersed in the incredible atmosphere created by Kazakh melodies, and some listeners even tried to sing along to the Kazakh songs performed in Warsaw.
Today, Warsaw is not only the main city where important political decisions are made, but also a cultural center where residents receive spiritual nourishment. The Teatr Wielki, the Fryderyk Chopin Museum, the National Museum of Modern Art and many other cultural and historical sites are located here. Among them, the National Philharmonic is a favorite place for the residents of Warsaw and many world collectives that regularly perform here. This time, when the songs by Kazakh composers were performed on its stage, the listenersgot transfixed, deep in thought, silently enjoying the beautiful melodies. With the last chord, the audience burst into applause, admiring the beautiful voices of the Kazakh choir singers and their high professionalism. In just over an hour, the viewers became so attached to the performers that they did not want to let them leave the stage for a long time.
“I would like to thank the Astana Opera Choir for an unforgettable experience. The Kazakh team’s idea to acquaint Europeans with the national musical culture of Kazakhstan was wonderful. Although I do not know the Kazakh language, Kazakh songs have penetrated deep into my soul. These melodies full of feelings immediately touched my heart and conveyed the beauty of the Kazakh steppe and the generosity of its people. I really liked all the songs performed by the choir, especially the work Zhalghyz Yemen made a special impression on me. This song was written by Kazakh composer Gaziza Zhubanova, and now it has become one of my favorite compositions,” said Mrs. Hanna Wojszyk, an audience member from Warsaw, who shared her impressions after the concert.
Warsaw resident Adam Lewandowski said that he had long admired the talent of the Kazakh choir and was looking forward to a new meeting with the team.
“Today I witnessed such a wonderful evening, and the reason for this is the Astana Opera Choir under the direction of a wonderful professional, choirmaster Yerzhan Dautov. We know that the work of the famous Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin is highly respected in Kazakhstan, and the Polish people also appreciate Kazakh culture and art. We are well acquainted with a wonderful book about the Kazakhs, their art, authored by our Polish ethnographer Adolf Januszkiewicz “Diaries and Letters from Travels Across the Kyrgyz Steppes”. I am very glad to hear Kazakh songs performed live by the choir. Once again I was convinced that the Astana Opera Choir is really powerful. I am sure that everyone liked the performance of the team, this can be seen from the reaction of the audience. I express my sincere gratitude to the singers, I wish them success in their work and to continue to be loved by the audiences all over the world,” Mr. Lewandowski said.
It is important to emphasize that a day before the concert in the capital of the country, the Kazakh choir performed at the prestigious Hajnówka International Competition together with teams from countries such as the USA, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and others. The works by Modest Mussorgsky, Krzysztof Penderecki, Apostol Nikolaev-Strumski, Anatoly Molodov were performed at the festival. It is known that for several years in a row our choir won first prizes at the prestigious music competition held in Białystok as part of the Hajnówka International Festival.
And 2023 was no exception. The Astana Opera Choir returns home with a significant award - a well-deserved first place. Kazakh choir artists showed the best vocal skills at the prestigious competition.
It is significant that the tour was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
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