On 19 and 20 September, the Astana Opera stage will be transformed into the Latin Quarter of Paris. Set to Giacomo Puccini’s brilliant score, the company will present a story of profound love, friendship, and eternal youth. In the performance on 20 September, the role of the fragile Mimì will be performed by the internationally acclaimed Kazakh soprano, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, Maria Mudryak. 
For Maria Mudryak, the role of Mimì represents a defining chapter in her career, spanning nearly a decade. She first tackled the character in 2016 in Italy as a young singer. Since then, she has performed the role on the world’s most prestigious stages in a variety of productions and directorial interpretations. Today, international music critics rank her among the top sopranos globally, yet she continues to approach the character with profound reverence and artistic curiosity. “I made my debut in this role in Italy when I was 21,” says Maria Mudryak. “Although I already had several roles and debuts under my belt, Mimì was always exceptional to me. I think this was primarily due to Puccini’s music and the character’s unique, relatable simplicity, which resonated deeply with me as a young singer. Naturally, performing the role across numerous stages, with different directors and in various productions, meant that she evolved each time. Now, a decade after my debut and with more life experience, I view this character in a completely different light. I want to portray her with greater complexity. She is simple and romantic, capable of finding joy and wonder in the smallest things, but she is also strong. Above all, she is a woman with a profound will to live and love,” the soprano shares.
Alongside Maria Mudryak, the production will bring together Astana Opera’s principal soloists, orchestra, chorus, supernumeraries, and the children’s choir. Additionally, Madina Islamova will perform the role of Mimì on September 19. Maria Mudryak notes with particular warmth that her creative collaboration with colleagues at Astana Opera has always been a source of inspiration. “Working with my colleagues from Astana Opera is always a joy. I will be performing alongside Talgat Mussabayev, an artist and friend whom I value and respect immensely; working with him is a true pleasure. I will also be performing with tenor Zhan Tapin. We rehearsed the previous production of La Bohème together, and I look forward to sharing the stage with him once again,” says Maria Mudryak.
She firmly believes that creative collaboration is the ultimate secret to the success of any production. “For me, creative dialogue is everything. An opera is always a collective effort where absolutely everyone is vital. The magic happens precisely when we all live in unison on stage. At Astana Opera, this is truly possible,” Maria Mudryak emphasizes. Under the baton of conductor Giuseppe Acquaviva, and featuring the lavish costumes of Academy Award-winner Franca Squarciapino alongside lighting design by Vincenzo Raponi, this collective artistry promises to deliver an unforgettable evening for the capital’s audience. 
Based on Henri Murger’s popular novel Scenes of Bohemian Life, Giacomo Puccini’s opera follows the lives of four impoverished yet creatively driven residents of Paris: the poet Rodolfo, the painter Marcello, the musician Schaunard, and the philosopher Colline. Although poverty is their constant companion, it fails to overshadow the joy, poetry, and love that fill their daily existence. Composed in just eight months and premiered in 1896 under the baton of a young Arturo Toscanini, the opera has since won the hearts of millions. In this Astana Opera production, director Andrea Bernard and the late, eminent set designer Ezio Frigerio transformed the story into a grand visual spectacle. The two-tier sets, a train entering the stage, and circus performers integrated into the festive crowd scene lend a vivid dynamism to this familiar masterpiece. 
Performances begin at 5 pm.