An anniversary evening Talgat Mussabayev Invites will take place in the Grand Hall of the Astana Opera on 4 June. The concert marks 25 years on stage for the acclaimed baritone, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, and opera company director of the Astana Opera.
The evening’s programme features arias and scenes from Kazakh and international operas, alongside chamber works selected to showcase the meticulous artistry the singer has refined over a quarter of a century. Maestro Yerbolat Akhmedyarov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, will conduct the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Conceived by Mussabayev as a collaborative celebration rather than a solo recital, the evening brings together distinguished guest artists who share close professional and personal ties with the baritone.
People’s Artist of Armenia, the celebrated bass Barseg Tumanyan, is flying to Astana specifically for the concert. “I am delighted to say that I will soon be arriving in Astana. It is a great honour for me to take part in this concert and congratulate my very good friend Talgat Mussabayev on the 25th anniversary of his artistic career,” he shared. Barseg Tumanyan worked at the Astana Opera for nearly eight years and fondly remembers rehearsing and performing alongside Mussabayev. “This creative life is deeply connected to me as well; I am overjoyed to return and eagerly look forward to 4 June,” the singer concluded.
Also featuring in the concert is the young tenor Nursultan Anuarbek, a current member of the Bolshoi Theatre’s Young Artists Opera Programme, having successfully passed a highly competitive audition in Moscow last year. The evening holds profound personal significance for the singer, as he is a student of Talgat Mussabayev. “To take part in the concert of my mentor, Talgat Mussabayev, is both an immense honour and a tremendous responsibility,” Anuarbek noted. “He is the master who instilled in me a love for music and an understanding of the highest benchmarks of vocal artistry. Sharing the stage with him means demonstrating everything I have learned, justifying his trust, and rising to the exceptional calibre he sets through personal example. While preparing for this evening, I have frequently recalled his guidance and advice. I am deeply touched that he invited me to share this important milestone with him. I am certain the concert will be executed to the highest standard, because Talgat Mussabayev never does anything by halves, and the audience will undoubtedly feel that.”
Adding further elegance to the evening will be the renowned soprano and Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, Bibigul Zhanuzak. The decision not to turn this creative evening into a monologue belonged to Talgat Mussabayev himself, who has always been known as an artist with a singular gift for bringing people together. His own professional path has been remarkably rich: while still a fifth-year postgraduate student, he appeared on stage at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in the title role of Onegin – an almost unprecedented achievement for such a young singer. This milestone was followed by masterclasses in Italy, collaborations with internationally acclaimed vocal coaches, and leading roles in Abai, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Don Carlos, and numerous other productions. In Kazakhstan, however, he is celebrated not only as an outstanding performer, but also as a dedicated mentor nurturing the next generation of talent, serving as a professor and former head of department at the Kulyash Baiseitova Kazakh National University of Arts.
As a reminder, the concert is being held as part of the Operaliya 2026 International Festival, which opened on 21 May and continues until mid-July. This year’s festival programme features performers from more than fifteen countries across three venues in the capital.
The concert begins at 7 pm.
