Astana Opera reached an important date: the opera house’s 10th anniversary season launches on September 9. Astana Opera’s general director, the Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Galym Akhmedyarov talks about what the creative team, which is well-known far beyond the borders of our country, has prepared for the audience.
– For 10 years now, thanks to Astana Opera’s work, an opportunity to get acquainted with unique productions that are not inferior, but somewhat even surpass other world productions, exists in the capital. Is it difficult to keep such a high standard, and with what main achievements did the team reach this milestone?
– Honestly speaking, keeping such a high standard is not so easy. Since the first day of the opera house opening, we have made a name for ourselves not only in our country, but across the world. Thus, maintaining this high level is not an easy task. It would take a long time to list all our achievements, but the main ones are that we have broken into the global cultural community and became recognizable abroad. We presented our opera house as part of a world tour in Europe, the USA and Canada.
I think that one of the most interesting projects was our premiere of Mahler’s Symphony No.8 performed by 1,200 musicians and vocalists from all over the country under the baton of Astana Opera’s principal conductor Alan Buribayev. This concert took place during EXPO 2017. It showed the huge performance potential of our artists, and also confirmed the audience’s interest in high classics and intellectual level. It is no coincidence that this year the famous French television channel Mezzo TV with its 38 million viewers broadcast a recording of this unique project for 3 months.
It was by the decision of Placido Domingo that our opera house hosted the 25th anniversary of Placido Domingo’s Opera, The World Opera Competition. The Teatro alla Scala toured here with the outstanding contemporary conductor Zubin Mehta. We have created the Astana Opera International Opera Academy. There is a Children’s Studio with Choir and Ballet departments, as well as a studio for teaching theatrical crafts, which is very important for the future of our opera house. Along with the active work of the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall, one of the most prestigious concert venues in our capital, several years ago a promising project, the Piccolo Theatre, was launched here, where opera buffa masterpieces are performed.
However, in order to reach these achievements, it was initially necessary to form opera and ballet companies, a choir, an orchestra, that is, creative and technical staff, which is a huge job. At the beginning of our journey, we were able to bring in outstanding figures of theatrical art and engage them in collaborative work in order to find that unique path that would become a high-level reference point, a kind of creative benchmark, which later brought great successful results. Therefore, we have cooperated and continue to cooperate with great theatrical designers, performers, stage directors, conductors, choreographers. Among them are Italian stage director Pier Luigi Pizzi, Italian set and costume designer Ezio Frigerio, the Academy Award winner Franca Squarciapino, Altynai Asylmuratova, Alan Buribayev and many others. Without such personalities, it is difficult to establish a creative atmosphere and achieve a high performing level.
We have laid the foundations of the creative staff and repertoire, which influenced the formation of a certain cultural environment in the capital. Therefore, today we can say with confidence that we have laid the foundation of musical and theatrical art here.
– The creative team is a special organism. What is the atmosphere in the opera house?
– The atmosphere is favorable, and the artists are busy with work. The opera house develops and grows only when big projects are carried out and premieres are brought forth, when there is a creative environment. That is, when life is in full swing. I was lucky enough to work in different collectives, but Astana Opera is a special place, a magical world of art, where you can truly feel a festive atmosphere. I am sincerely happy when a production turns out to be a success, and I am sad if something goes wrong, because for me, first of all, the reaction of the audience and the artistic result are important, something that will remain in the opera house’s repertoire for many years, and will not become a matter of one season.
– Speaking of the anniversary season, what interesting things can the audience expect?
– We tried to make it really rich. We will open it in just a few days, on September 9, with a concert featuring international opera star, Grammy-winning soprano from the Republic of Korea Sumi Jo. Also, the creative team is preparing for the upcoming premieres, which will be held with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan. These are the modern ballet Cinderella to Sergei Prokofiev’s music choreographed by Raimondo Rebeck, Balnur Kydyrbek’s opera-ballet Qalqaman – Mamyr staged by Yuri Alexandrov, and Zholan Dastenov’s children’s opera Qanbaq Shal staged by Yerenbak Toikenov. Astana Opera will hold its own International Festival Zhibek Zholy, which will feature Kazakh and foreign opera and ballet stars, and world theatrical critics will be in attendance.
Undoubtedly, the main event of the anniversary season at the opera house will be the celebration of its tenth anniversary on Astana Opera’s birthday on June 21 next year.
– What is the most important thing for you in working at Astana Opera?
– This is a tough question. Probably, it is reciprocity with the audience. I can say with confidence that we already have 10 years of reciprocity and love with the audience. During this time, we have fostered patrons of high art, and we hope that this circle will expand from year to year.