The 2nd Nurzhamal Usenbayeva International Vocal Art Competition is underway in Astana. This large-scale creative project brought together young academic performers from various countries and became one of the most notable cultural events of early October.
The competition was organized by the Yerkegali Rakhmadiev State Academic Philharmonic with the support of the Astana Mayor's Office. Its main goal is to support young vocalists, develop academic performance art, and discover new talents for the big stage.
The qualifying round received 85 applications from 11 countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Mongolia, China, Germany, the USA, Italy, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey. Following the preliminary selection, 30 professional vocalists aged 20 to 35 were admitted to the first round.
The competition's grand opening took place on October 1. Representatives of government agencies, the cultural community, and renowned artists addressed the participants and guests with welcoming remarks. During the ceremony, members of the international jury presented works from world opera classics.
Competitive auditions and master classes are taking place in the capital's Chamber and Concert Halls. The jury, chaired by People's Artist of Kazakhstan and Tatarstan Nurzhamal Usenbayeva, includes musicians, conductors, and soloists from the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, China, and Lithuania.
A highlight of the final round will be the participants' performance accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of the Yerkegali Rakhmadiev State Academic Philharmonic under the direction of People's Artist of Kazakhstan Abzal Mukhitdin.
The winner of the competition will receive the Grand Prix of 5,000,000 tenge. A special cash prize has also been established for the best performance of a work by a Kazakh composer.