Musicians of the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra Ivan Kokotov, Ilyas Zhidebay (violins), Akhmet Sultanov (viola), Daniyar Kadralinov (cello), Zhanar Seitkhanova, Raushan Satiyeva (piano) will be performing this evening.

“The idea of creating the concert belongs to Akhmet Sultanov. As artists of one of the leading international opera houses, it is important for us, along with performing opera and ballet masterpieces as part of the symphony orchestra, to perform solo programs and play in chamber ensembles. All these types of music-making are very diverse; they have different characteristics, genres, distinctive nature. We have approached the concert repertoire selection with great responsibility, and all the works go together harmoniously. Our daily rehearsals take place in a single breath; we invest all our efforts in preparation for the concert. Each of us has our own opinions, perception, and vision of music, and this creative collaboration positively influences the quality of the result,” the performers noted.

The extensive program includes Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola in G Major, KV 423, Op. 28, Tchaikovsky’s Scherzo, Mélodie, Valse-Scherzo, Paganini’s La Campanella arranged by W. Primrose, Fauré’s Élégie, Popper’s Concert Polonaise, Handel – Halvorsen’s Passacaglia for Violin and Viola, Rachmaninoff’s Daisies Op. 38, No. 3; Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5 (arranged for piano).

One of the most significant works of the chamber-instrumental repertoire – Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D minor D 810 known as Death and the Maiden will be a brilliant conclusion to the musical evening. The expressive, emotionally charged music of the Viennese romantic composer touches the soul of everyone who comes into contact with this opus, in which the themes of life and death, the human fate are widely revealed. It is interesting to note that the quartet became an inspiration for creating many other works of art. In particular, the composition was featured in well-known films, such as Roman Polanski’s Death and the Maiden, What?, Jane Campion’s The Portrait of a Lady, Allan Cubitt’s Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking, and also in Samuel Beckett’s radio play All That Fall.

The concert will begin at 19:00.