The international project Russian Seasons in Kazakhstan will close on 9 December with the gala concert Duet of Two Capitals. The concert is being prepared by the Helikon Opera Theater under the direction of Dmitry Bertman jointly with the team of the Astana Opera, which will host the gala. The implementation of the Russian Seasons project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The voices of soloists from Moscow and Astana will merge in the famous duets from the operas by Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Rossini, Dargomyzhsky, Bizet, Puccini, Offenbach, and the Muscovites for the first time in their lives will sing in the Kazakh language. The choir of the Helikon Opera, symphony orchestra, the choir and the ballet dancers of the Astana Opera will take part in the concert. The gala is directed by the winner of the City of Moscow Award Ilya Ilyin and led by two conductors – the Chief conductor of the Helikon Opera, the winner of the City of Moscow Award Valery Kiryanov, and the conductor of the Astana Opera Ruslan Baimurzin. Master of ceremonies – Ksenia Lisanskaya.
“Moscow and Astana have been sister cities for over 20 years, and Helikon Opera and Astana Opera have not only artistic, but also friendly relations. I am infinitely happy that our artists are participating in the Russian Seasons project, which gives us the opportunity to bring our love from Moscow to the residents of Astana,” says the General director and Artistic director of the theater, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Dmitry Bertman. “What we are aiming at is speaking the language of music, the language of creativity and the language of love!”
Astana will meet Helikon stars – laureates of international competitions Yulia Shcherbakova, Valentina Gofer, Shota Chibirov, Maxim Perebeinos. They performed together with the soloists of the Astana Opera, among whom were Honored Workers of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhupar Gabdullina, Saltanat Akhmetova, Azamat Zheltyrguzov, Medet Chotabaev and others.
An exclusive exhibition of theatrical costumes Art Masquerade will be displayed in the foyer of Astana Opera, and the spectators will be offered an excursion around the exhibition. The project was developed by an artist from St. Petersburg Nika Velegzhaninova. The Kazakh capital’s audience will have a chance to see theatrical costumes created according to sketches by Alexander Golovin, Lev Bakst, Mikhail Larionov and Sergei Sudeikin. These artists made a significant contribution to the formation of a new look at set design and costumes. Some costumes existed only on paper for more than a hundred years, and on 9 December they will first decorate the foyer of the theater in Astana.
To reiterate, Russian Seasons opened in Kazakhstan in March with the Tchaikovsky Gala program of the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by People’s Artist of the USSR Yuri Bashmet. During 2023, 20 events were held at various venues in the republic, including tours of the Eifman Ballet St. Petersburg and the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater, exhibition of the Russian National Museum of Music Planet Tchaikovsky, master classes and student performances from GITIS, exhibition of the St. Petersburg State Repin Academy of Fine Arts Figurative Art, performances of the State Academic Dance Ensemble Vainakh, Days of Yakut Cinema.
