SYMPHONY CONCERT (In two parts)

For the first time, a Symphonic suite from the opera "Kurmangazy" by Akhmet and Gaziza Zhubanov will be performed.

The opera "Kurmangazy" is an artistic portrait of the outstanding Kazakh kuishi of the XIX century. A. Zhubanov wrote: "Kurmangazy was a modern artist, in the best sense of the word, a singer of the strength and beauty of a man fighting for his rights and not bowing his head before trials, such as the great Abai was in poetry."

Opera about Kurmangazy – it was the dream of A. Zhubanov's whole life. He not only collected and recorded Kurmangazy's kuis, he created the first orchestral arrangements of kuis, and, according to the composer's daughter, Gaziza Zhubanova, the kuis' scores "are still unsurpassed in their artistic qualities <...>."

It became a matter of honor for Gaziza Zhubanova to realize her father's dream.

At first, A. Zhubanov's idea was completed in the form of a radio opera "Kurmangazy" – this is the first work in this genre in Kazakh music. And in January 1987 on the stage of GATOB im. Abai hosted the premiere of the opera "Kurmangazy".

The symphonic suite of the brightest musical fragments of the opera will be presented by Akhmet Zhubanov's great–grandson Alan Buribayev.

The maestro continues to acquaint residents and guests of the capital with the work of his favorite composer, Gustav Mahler, and adds the First to the Second, Fifth and Eighth Symphonies already performed.

G. Mahler himself gave the First Symphony the name "Titan" in honor of the famous novel by Jean Paul. Mahler's symphony has a "plot": a typical romantic conflict of the hero with the surrounding vulgarity and hypocrisy. Feeling like a part of the awakening nature, the young hero rushes to people; having experienced the heaviest disappointment in their society – embodied in Mahler in the third part, in a grotesque funeral march – he returns to nature and finds himself again.

At the invitation of Alan Buribayev, the famous cellist Jing Zhao (Jing Zhao) comes from Germany to participate in the concert. She will perform Antonin Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B Minor (Op. 104).

Dvorak wrote to a friend in 1895: "This concerto is significantly superior to both of my concertos, both violin and piano. Don't be surprised that I'm talking about it myself – you can't rely on your own praise – but I can tell you that this work gives me great joy, and I think I won't be mistaken in its assessment."

Dvorak, indeed, was not mistaken: his cello concerto is among the best works of this genre. Brahms, having familiarized himself with it, exclaimed: "Why didn't I know that a cello concerto could be written like that? I would have written it long ago!.."

Performers:

ASTANA OPERA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Soloist – Jing Zhao (cello, Germany)

Conductor – Alan BURIBAYEV, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Jing ZHAO

Possessing fine musicality and virtuosity, Jing Zhao has established herself internationally as one of the most versatile cellists of her generation.

She began her musical education in China and Japan, receiving generous help from Maestro Seiji Ozawa, then continued her studies at the Karajan Academy at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. At the Eisler Berlin Higher School of Music, her teacher was Professor David Geringas, who also privately took lessons from Yo-Yo Ma and Rostropovich.

Jing has performed with such famous conductors as Yuri Bashmet, Jeong Myung Hoon, Jean Fournet, Eliahu Inbal, Kenichiro Kobayashi, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Andris Nelsons, Seiji Ozawa, Mikhail Pletnev, etc.

She has collaborated with the symphony orchestras of the Bavarian Radio, Konzerthaus, North German Radio, Hamburg – Laeiszhalle Orchestra, Lubeck Philharmonic, Gyurzenich-Orchestra of Cologne; as well as the Classical Orchestra of Madeira, Sydney, Shanghai and Singapore Symphony Orchestras, NHK Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Chinese Philharmonic Orchestra, orchestras of Hong Kong philharmonic societies and the KBS Philharmonic, the Munich Chamber Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, he performs with such famous performers as Marta Argerich, Elena Bashkirova, Guy Braunstein, Boris Berezovsky, Bertrand Shamayu, Michael Guttman, Daisin Kashimoto, Denis Kozhukhin, Eric Le Sage, Konstantin Lifshits, Igor Levit, Emmanuel Payu, Trevor Pinnock, Vadim Repin, Antoine Tamestit, Maxim Vengerov and Lilya Silberstein and others.

The great pianist Marta Argerich chose her to perform and record the Tchaikovsky Trio in time for her festival in Lugano.

Jing Zhao is one of the artistic directors of the Pietrasanta in Concerto Music Festival in Italy and a resident artist of Crans-Montana Classics in Switzerland, a permanent special guest of the Odessa Classics Festival.

She is also a participant of music festivals in Jerusalem, Zagreb, Bad Kissingen, Istanbul, Hamburg, the Mad Day Festival in Nantes, the Marta Argerich Festival in Beppu and others.

Jing Zhao has recorded 5 CDs for Victor Entertainment in Japan.

Currently, Jing plays the cello of Matteo Goffriller (1711), which was provided to her by a private foundation.

In the program:

A.ZHUBANOV, G.ZHUBANOVA. Symphonic suite from the opera "Kurmangazy"

A. DVORAK. Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op.104

Soloist – Jing Zhao (Germany)

G.MAHLER. Symphony No. 1 ("Titan)