WELCOME TO KAZAKHSTAN

As part of the state visit of the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, to Kazakhstan, an evening of Estonian music took place at the Astana Opera - deep, chamber and symbolic. The concert was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Arvo Pärt and the 95th anniversary of Veljo Tormis - two great composers whose work has long become part of the world's musical heritage. This evening became a kind of cultural bridge between the two countries, uniting the public through a language that is understood without translation - music.The musical evening brought together honored guests: the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, with his wife, members of the Estonian delegation, the Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aida Balayeva, diplomats and representatives of the creative intelligentsia.The head of the department, Aida Balayeva, noted that music has become a continuation of the creative dialogue of two cultures, reminding: "There are no borders for art - it connects hearts.""Tonight we celebrate the friendship between Estonia and Kazakhstan through music... the melody of friendship sounds not only in Astana, but also beyond its borders," Alar Karis emphasized in his speech.On this evening, the walls of the theater were filled with works by Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis - two composers whose creative worlds combine sacredness, folklore, minimalism and spiritual depth. The Vanalinna Hariduskolleegiu string orchestra, conductor Rasmus Puur and one of the brightest young violinists in Europe, Hans Christian Aavik, whose appearance became the main emotional core of the evening, performed on the stage.The Qazaq Culture editorial staff talked with Hans Christian Aavik and Rasmus Puur - musicians who became conductors of the Estonian musical soul this evening. Their answers create a common fabric of meanings, where history, modernity, and personal emotions sound.Hans, what does the program you presented today mean to you?- This evening for me is a journey through the music of two very different, but deeply connected composers. Arvo Pärt is a composer that I play again and again in different countries around the world. His Fratres is a special piece. I have performed it in Europe, in New York, and each time it opens in a new way.If we talk about performing Fratres - "Brothers", then I really like to think that this music sounds here today, in Astana, because it seems to reflect the connection between Estonia and Kazakhstan. There is a feeling that there is a quiet but very strong kinship between our cultures. And I hope that the listeners will feel it.Another Pärt cycle is Estländler. It is simple, almost ascetic, but in this simplicity there is great honesty and emotion. Sometimes a few sounds say more than a whole symphony.And, of course, Tormis. His Curse upon Iron is a ritual, energy, an ancient voice of the earth. This is music that is not just heard - it is experienced by the body. Drum beats, almost primitive sounds - this is a return to the roots.You said that you have a personal connection with Kazakhstan. Tell us about it?- Yes, and this is a very warm story. My friend Ruslan Talas is a violinist from Kazakhstan. We studied together in Germany. He is an incredibly talented musician, and I want to say hello to him directly from here, from Astana.For me, performing here is an honor. This is my first visit to Kazakhstan, and it has left me with very strong impressions. Astana is a city that combines incredible architecture, space and a sense of the future. I would really like to come back.What would you like the audience to take away with them after this evening?- I would like people to feel that music is able to bring us closer. It unites even those who speak different languages. If at least one person leaves today with the thought "I have become a little closer to another culture" - then we have done something important.The concert of Estonian music became part of not only a large cultural program of the visit, but also a deeper process - mutual recognition and respect.The piano donated by Estonia to the school in Arkalyk, joint projects, attention to each other's history - all this forms a space where culture becomes the language of trust. Maestro Puur, let me ask, your program featured Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis - two names that shape the face of Estonian classics. What unites these composers?- This year is special for Estonia: we are celebrating two major anniversaries - the 90th anniversary of Arvo Pärt and the 95th anniversary of Veljo Tormis. These are not just two names - these are two musical universes. Pärt is one of the most performed living composers in the world. And Tormis is his first teacher, only five years older, but who had a huge influence on his creative path.They are very different, but they are united by one thing: both turn to the past, to the ancient layers of music. Pärt - to Gregorian chant, to the purity and serenity of the medieval tradition. Tormis - to folklore, to the voices of the earth, to our national roots. They both seek something higher in music than ourselves.And what is especially beautiful - they were friends all their lives. Teacher and student, two people who shaped the image of Estonian music.How would you define the significance of this program for the Kazakhstani listener?- This program has what I call the "Estonian touch". It is light, tranquility, inner space. There is silence, there is the breath of nature, there are aromas and depth. This is an opportunity to hear the Estonian soul through music.It seems very important to me that this music sounds in Kazakhstan. Here people know how to feel the depth, and therefore the program found a lively response.What did you feel while working with the Kazakhstani stage and audience?- Here - an incredibly warm atmosphere. The audience listened very carefully, with respect, with participation. And for a musician, this is the most important thing - to feel that your music is really needed by someone...I would like to conclude that this musical program is the breath of the Estonian soul. And I am glad that it was she who sounded here, in Kazakhstan.