Kazakhstan's Music School on the Path to Global Recognition: Gaukhar Tasbergenova's View
Kazakhstan's music school has undergone significant development throughout its history and has become an important part of the country's cultural heritage. With the founding of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory in 1944, the foundations of academic music education were laid, and they continue to develop today. In recent years, Kazakhstani musicians and teachers have increasingly participated in international projects, and the conservatory's students and graduates have won prestigious competitions. Against this backdrop, the signing of a memorandum between the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory and the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna marked an important step in developing international cooperation. We spoke with the conservatory's rector, Gaukhar Tasbergenova, about the significance of this partnership, the prospects for students, and the future of music education in Kazakhstan."The signing of the memorandum with the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna was a significant event for music education in Kazakhstan. What is the strategic significance of this partnership for Kazakhstan?" For us, signing a memorandum with the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna is an important step in the strategic transformation of music education. We are collaborating with one of Europe's strongest arts universities, where contemporary performance and teaching practices are being developed. For Kazakhstan, this signifies a more active involvement in the international process, where music schools develop through the constant exchange of experience and professional communication. We see the conservatory as a full participant in this movement. This collaboration opens opportunities for the exchange of methods, joint creative initiatives, and academic projects. We hope that this will give Kazakhstan's music school a new impetus for development and increase its visibility on the international music education map.— Would it be fair to say that this memorandum opens a new stage in the international integration of Kazakhstan's music school?— Yes, absolutely. It is important for us that international cooperation is not limited to one-off visits but develops into a sustainable professional environment. We are already discussing master classes, joint concerts, and academic meetings between teachers and students. Such projects allow for direct contact with different performance traditions and pedagogical approaches. For students, this is a chance to become part of a larger international musical process, and for the institution, it's an opportunity to strengthen and update its own school.– One of the key areas of the memorandum was student academic mobility. What opportunities does this open up for conservatory students?– Academic mobility is one of the most important tools for integrating our students into the international music scene. Thanks to this partnership, they have the opportunity to study in Vienna on academic mobility programs for one or two semesters. This means working with world-class professors, becoming acquainted with European performance traditions, and mastering modern disciplines – from cultural management to music technology. This experience significantly broadens the professional horizons of young musicians.It's also important that this collaboration isn't just about physical mobility. Today, the international educational environment is increasingly built on digital formats: online courses, master classes, and research initiatives. Regarding the double degree, the signed memorandum is the first and crucial step along this path. We're currently starting with academic mobility and joint projects, but a double-degree program is already being considered as one of our strategic goals for the coming years.– How important is it for young musicians today to gain international experience?– International experience is becoming a practically essential element of a musician's professional development. Music schools traditionally foster a stable system of thought: performance traditions, teaching methods, and aesthetic guidelines. This is the foundation without which it's impossible to cultivate a strong musician. But it's precisely by stepping outside the familiar environment that one can see one's school in a broader context. When a musician encounters different artistic approaches, they begin to more consciously formulate their own position. This is especially important not only for performers but also for future teachers and researchers who will determine the direction of musical culture.– What makes the Kazakh music school unique?– Kazakh musical culture is rich in the traditions of instrumental performance on the dombra, kobyz, sybyzgy, and zhetygen. Ancient musical instruments are being actively revived, including through the work of specialized departments. The professional songwriting of akyns (aqyns) continues to develop, and interest in them remains strong. At the same time, the European classical school has also established a strong place in Kazakhstan's musical culture. The interaction of these two traditions has created a unique creative environment, synthesizing classical and Kazakh folk music. I believe our European partners are interested in both the multifaceted history of Kazakhstan's musical culture and the high level of performance and compositional skill of our musicians.– How important is it today to present Kazakhstani classical music on the world stage – not only through performers but also through educational institutions?– It is very important. Kazakhstani classical music began to be heard on the world stage in the first half of the 20th century, and this played a significant role in its recognition and further development. At the same time, the need for systematic training of musical professionals arose, and the opening of the Alma-Ata Conservatory, now the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory, in 1944 was an important step in this direction. Today, the Conservatory, as an educational institution, proudly represents Kazakhstani academic music on the world stage—both literally and more broadly. This includes student participation in international competitions, the work of renowned artists and teachers, scientific forums, publications, collaboration with partner universities, and participation in international projects. All of this is also part of the global musical academic space.– How do you see the Kurmangazy Conservatory's mission in shaping a new generation of musicians?– The mission of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory today is to shape a new generation of musicians capable of working in a dynamically changing cultural world. We are developing in several areas simultaneously: performance, pedagogy, scientific research, and contemporary forms of cultural practice. Particular attention is now being paid to arts management, as musical life is already functioning according to new rules: new venues are emerging, new formats for interacting with audiences, and new ways of organizing creative processes. Therefore, it is important for us to train not only outstanding performers but also professionals capable of shaping the cultural agenda and influencing the development of the musical environment.– How do you envision the future of music education in Kazakhstan?– We see the future of music education in Kazakhstan as a space for active transformation. We have a strong academic foundation and a rich national tradition—this is the foundation for further development. But today, it is important not only to preserve this foundation, but also to constantly update the educational environment and expand the horizons of the musical profession. Music education is becoming more open and interdisciplinary: alongside performance and pedagogy, research, arts management, and digital technologies are playing an increasingly important role. We understand that new tools, including artificial intelligence, are gradually changing the way we work with sound and musical material. Therefore, the conservatory's task today is to train musicians capable of working in this new cultural reality.
