Italian listeners accompanied the performance of the Astana Opera’s Principal Soloist Sundet Baigozhin, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, laureate of the State Prize of Kazakhstan, with stormy, unceasing applause. On June 15, 18 and 20, well-known Kazakh baritone presented the part of Sharpless in Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly at the Genoese Teatro Carlo Felice.

“I can say with confidence that the birthplace of opera welcomed me wonderfully. My first performance on this particular stage before the Italian audience was in the Astana Opera’s production of the national opera Abai, which was sung in Kazakh. Our creative bridge is growing stronger every year. This time everything was also interesting and eventful. In general, the success of the performance depends on the collective work. We worked hard, as a result – loud applause and gratitude from the Italian audience. I am immensely pleased to collaborate with colleagues who have been invited to perform in this production from different parts of the world,” Sundet Baigozhin emphasized.

This production of Madama Butterfly, including the directorial version, sets and costumes, presented to the residents of the city of Genoa, arrived in Italy from the Astana Opera House. The Stage Director was Lorenzo Amato. The scenery and costumes were created by the Set Designer Ezio Frigerio, an outstanding theatrical artist of our time, and the Academy Award-winning Costume Designer Franca Squarciapino. The orchestra and choir of the Teatro Carlo Felice performed under the baton of Maestro Giuseppe Acquaviva.

“I have already performed in this production on the Astana Opera stage. Nevertheless, after each performance you try to add colour to your portrayal, discover new facets of the character. In Italy, a lot of directorial changes were made. We prepared with singers from different countries for a month. I was able to quickly find a common language with my foreign colleagues, we immediately began to understand each other very well. After intensive rehearsal processs, we managed to convey the Stage Director’s vision. However, no matter which opera house I perform in, my native Astana Opera stage plays a dominant role in my life,” the Principal Soloist said.

On these days, Maria Teresa Leva performed Cio-cio-san, Suzuki – Carlotta Vichi, F.B. Pinkerton – Ragaa El Din, Goro – Alessandro Fantoni, the Bonze, Cio-Cio-san’s uncle – John Paul Huckle.

Let us remind that in November last year Sundet Baigozhin performed in Kazakh the title role of Abai at the Italian premiere of Akhmet Zhubanov and Latyf Khamidi’s eponymous operatic masterpiece in the main opera house of the city of Genoa. The performance became part of the European tour of the Astana Opera, which was held as part of the “Rukhani Zhangyru” program with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In addition, among the vocalist’s accomplishments are brilliant performances of the leading roles of Marcello in Puccini’s La Boheme and Figaro in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona.

In is important to note that Sundet Baigozhin is a winner of many prestigious international competitions, including Grand Prix of the Bibigul Tulegenova Vocal Competition, victories in competitions in Italy – Toti dal Monte (Treviso) and Fondazione Arena di Verona International Singing Competition. The Principal Soloist performed with great success at famous world venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York (USA), Berliner Philharmoniker (Germany), Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris (France), Wiener Konzerthaus (Austria), as well as venues in Japan, Republic of Korea, Turkey, Jordan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Belarus, etc. His repertoire includes main parts in Kazakh and foreign classical operas: Bekezhan (Brusilovsky’s Kyz Zhibek), Escamillo (Bizet’s Carmen), Giorgio Germont (Verdi’s La Traviata), Lescaut (Puccini’s Manon Lescaut), Dr Malatesta (Donizetti’s Don Pasquale), Onegin (Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin), Aleko (Rachmaninoff’s Aleko), etc.