For "Astana Opera," 2024 was a vibrant and eventful year, filled with premieres, tours, and memorable events for the audience.
One of the key highlights was the tour, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia, where the artists presented the opera "Abai" by Akhmet Zhubanov and Latif Khamidi. The grand success in Moscow cemented "Astana Opera's" international status as the country's main theater. This was also reflected in numerous reviews from critics: "Astana Opera demonstrated a high level of performance. The brilliant and high-quality orchestra of Elmara Buribayeva and the incredibly powerful, deep, and rich-sounding choir of Yerzhan Dautov provided a solid foundation and the necessary epic scale for the performance. Against this backdrop, the soloists shone," wrote renowned music critic Alexander Matushevich in his review for the Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Undoubtedly, the most memorable event of the year was the premiere of the first comic opera "Aysulu" by Sydyk Mukhammedzhanov, dedicated to the composer’s centenary. The production received high praise.
Doctor of Art History, Professor Umitzhan Jumakova noted in her review: "Today, laughter and applause never ceased in the audience. Judging by this reaction, the adventures of the lovers and the life of the common people were perceived very vividly – as something close, familiar, and beloved."
This year, the theater also premiered Gaetano Donizetti's opera The Bell, or The Apothecary’s Wedding Night in the Chamber Hall named after K. Baiseitova. Later, on the same stage, the premiere of one of the most famous operas of the Baroque era, Antonio Vivaldi’s The Furious Orlando, took place.
There were also new additions to the ballet repertoire. Among them was the national number "RUH," set to music by the Hassak ensemble. The choreographer was the theater's soloist Sultanbek Gumar, whose works, such as Mangurt, have already become iconic for the ballet troupe. In addition, the theater actively toured this year: the ballet troupe successfully performed in Slovenia with the legendary production of "Spartacus" by A. Khachaturian, staged by Yuri Grigorovich, as part of the renowned International Ljubljana Festival. The theater's choir also held a memorable concert in Karaganda, and the opera soloists won the hearts of the Shymkent audience.
The highlight of the touring year was the performances in Dubai with Pyotr Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. The artists gathered six sold-out performances during their stay! Continuing the theme of numbers: in 2024, the theater held more than 250 events, including performances, concerts, and masterclasses, and over 100,000 spectators attended the theater’s events throughout the year.
The Cultural Legacy Fund, which supports culture and the creative industry, congratulates the theater on its success and wishes it even greater creative achievements in the coming year!
Photo: Press service of "Astana Opera."
