During the bright celebration of Nauryz, on 21 and 22 March, Astana Opera will present the world premiere of the national opera Appaq, the Qypshaq Daughter. This new work features music by contemporary Kazakh composers Serikzhan and Alibi Abdinurov, set to a libretto by Tleugazy Beissembek. The premiere is presented with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan and marks the 35th anniversary of Independence.
The opera weaves together two inseparable narratives: the personal and the historical. At its heart lies the love story of the great poet Nizami Ganjavi and the Qypshaq beauty Appaq, who was presented to him by the ruler of Derbent and became his muse. This profound connection is set against a stark epic where war begets war. In this operatic reimagining, the two worlds collide; personal grief ascends to the scale of national tragedy, and the central message emerges through the characters’ trials of betrayal, intrigue, and battle. Ultimately, it is Appaq’s wisdom, her deep connection to her native steppe, and her love that become the force pointing the way out of the vicious cycle of violence. Thus, the story of two individuals becomes an anthem to duty and a testament to the spiritual strength required to forge a path toward peace.
A distinguished creative team has been brought together to stage this large-scale production. At the podium is People’s Artist of Kazakhstan, music director of the production Abzal Mukhitdin, leading a conducting team that includes Ruslan Baimurzin and Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Yerbolat Akhmedyarov. The stage director is Mikhail Pandzhavidze, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Tatarstan, assisted by Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Yevgeniy Chainikov and Gulsara Meirambekova. Principal chorus master is Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Dautov, with chorus masters Dauren Mussin and Yerzhan Sansyzbayev. The set and costume design is the work of Honoured Workers of Kazakhstan Sofya Tasmagambetova and Pavel Dragunov. The creative team is completed by lighting designer Sergei Shevchenko, video designer Pavel Suvorov and technical director Victor Carare, with choreography by Aibar Toktar.
Ahead of the premiere, Mikhail Pandzhavidze shared his reflections on working with such large-scale material. “We have moved somewhat away from the original source – the drama by Gabit Musrepov. It is more of a free reimagining of those themes. We had to rethink a great deal and heighten the drama, because this opera demands action and passion. And where does passion lie in opera? Naturally, in love, in intrigue, and in betrayal. You cannot do without them – it is the law of the genre. To try and bypass it would be like trying to defy the law of gravity,” the stage director remarked.
According to the stage director, a vital task was to avoid a black-and-white portrayal of the characters. “There is no interest in creating flat, one-dimensional figures. Everyone must have their own truth, their own history. Even within the framework of a classical libretto, the performers and I are seeking greater depth, so that Appaq evokes both admiration and sympathy, while her adversaries invite our understanding.”
Discussing the music of the Abdinurov brothers, Mikhail Pandzhavidze noted: “This is their first operatic work of such magnitude, and the genre dictates its own exacting laws. However, it has been composed professionally, capably, and with talent. We are now at the most important stage: testing the music on stage. What is written in the score must begin to ‘breathe’ within the space of the opera house.”
The stage director, for whom Kazakhstan has become a second creative home over fifteen years of collaboration, shared: “Every premiere brings its own nerves. There is no fixed formula; it is alchemy. Yet working with the Astana Opera team is always a joy, defined by a shared drive to achieve excellence. We will strive to honour the audience’s trust,” Mikhail Pandzhavidze concluded.
Performances begin at 5pm.
