Astana Opera Makes Toronto Debut Performance with VOICE OF ASIA Tonight

The Astana Opera will make its Toronto debut performance tonight, October 30 at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. Its concert program "Voice of Asia," selected for its inclusion of Kazakh folk songs and pieces by Kazakh composers, will be under the direction of Abzal Mukhitdinov.

Astana Opera opens new cultural horizons, introducing Canadian audience to Kazakh classical music and presenting a unique symphony orchestra, extraordinary choir and first-class vocal team.

"Every piece on this concert belongs to a different genre and reveals the national cultural characteristics of the lives of the Kazakh people," said the director of the Astana Opera House, Tolegen Mukhamejanov. "It will be a wonderful sampling of Kazakh music that our musicians are eager to bring to a brand new audience."

The concert will be a two-part event. The first half will be a symphony concert, featuring Tchaikovsky's violin concerto played by violin virtuoso and winner of the international Wienawski Competition, Erzhan Kulibaev.

The second half of the concert will feature vocal symphonic music, including performances by Kazakhstan's premiere tenor, Medet Chotabaev; Zhupar Gabdullina, a remarkably talented lyric-dramatic soprano; Aigul Niyazova and Dina Khamzina, performing a soprano/mezzo-soprano duet; and Alifya Karimova, performing Kunigunda's aria from Bernstein's "Candide" in English. The Astana Opera Choir will also perform a traditional spiritual, "Elijah Rock." Tickets for the concert are now available at the Sony Centre's website.

"This is a concert that music lovers and people interested in exploring other cultures will not want to miss," said Mukhamejanov. "The Astana Opera has drawn great praise from many acclaimed figures in music, including Pier Luigi Pizzi, famous tenor Vittorio Grigolo and maestro Marco Boemi. It will be a wonderful opportunity for the people of Toronto to enjoy a musical experience unlike any they've ever had before."

The magnificent, state-of-the-art Astana Opera House was founded in 2013 and established itself from the outset as a major, progressive force in the cultural life of Central Asia. The Theater is located at the crossroads between East and West and its repertoire combines national traditions and classic worldwide masterpieces. After great success in its first season of nine productions, the opera has begun to achieve international renown.

For more information, visit the opera's website at http://astanaopera.kz/en/.

Photo Courtesy of the Astana Opera

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