On February 7th and 8th this year Soloists of the opera stage dedicated to the 175th anniversary of Abay Kunanbayev took part in the framework of the “International Festival” Sarajevo Winter in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina - the city of Sarajevo. The cultural event was organized with the assistance of TURKSOY and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Croatia, BiH and Montenegro.
At the opening ceremony of the festival on February 7th performed by the Astana Opera soloists Zhupar Gabdulina, Kazakh State Academy Opera and Ballet Theater. Abai Talgat Kuzembaev performed arias from the famous opera "Abai". The performer of folk songs Zhanargul Sarkenova performed on the dombra lyrical songs to the verses of Abai. Musical accompaniment was provided by the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of the young conductor Rustam Rakhmedov.
On the second day of the festival, the Kazakhstanis, together with the leading opera soloists of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Turkmenistan, performed a concert "Opera Stars of the Turkic World" dedicated to the creative heritage of Abay. Abai’s songs were sung - “гzgege, kөңіlіm, toyrsy,”, “Zhelsіz tүnde zharyай ay”, “Өlsem, orny kara zher siz bolmai ma”, “Esi маde bar ma zhas kңnің”, “Kozimin karasi” and other, as well as themes from the opera "Abay" performed by leading soloists of the opera scene of the Turkic world.
Speaking to participants and guests of the festival, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan Tolezhan Barlybaev noted the worldwide importance of Abay’s creative heritage, filled with the ideals of morality, spirituality and humanism. The diplomat said that by the anniversary date a collection of selected works of Abay in Bosnian will be presented to the general public. At the meeting of the ambassador with the rector of Sarajevo University, Rifat Shkriel, an agreement was reached on holding a scientific and practical conference on the spiritual heritage of Abai by the end of the year.
Held since 1984 with the support of UNESCO and the Council of Europe, the Sarajevo Winter Festival is the largest cultural and arts forum in the Balkans. Over 35 years, the festival was attended by over 3.5 million guests from around the world. This year, for the first time, Kazakh musical masterpieces on the verses of Abai were included in the festival program.
Press Service of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Croatia, BiH and Montenegro