Astana Opera Academy soloist wins World Opera Diva special prize
The singer from Kazakhstan won over the jury with her amazing soprano and, in addition to the special prize, also received several offers to perform at the leading theatrical venues in Russia, the Astana Opera’s official website reads.
«The Astana Opera Academy attendees, who will complete their studies this summer, demonstrate great potential,» Galym Akhmedyarov, Astana Opera’s general director, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, says. «We expect that soon they will come through as soloists of the best theatrical venues not only in Kazakhstan, but also in other countries, and will worthily represent the Kazakh opera art in the world. The young singers are already actively performing at Astana Opera, making their debut in opera productions abroad, and successfully participating in international competitions. Guldana Aldadossova is a very promising and ambitious performer, a talented and driven singer with a beautiful voice. I hope that receiving a special award from the world opera star Hibla Gerzmava will be another step in Guldana’s brilliant career. We sincerely congratulate her and wish her new success!»
It is worth noting that Hibla Gerzmava is not only a world-famous opera singer performing at the world’s leading opera houses: the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House, the Opéra National de Paris, Arena di Verona and others, she is also an assistant professor of solo singing at the Moscow Conservatory, President of the Onegin National Opera Awards, founder and director of the Hibla Gerzmava Invites music festival. The jury of the competition, held under the opera diva’s patronage, included leading singers, stage directors, conductors and opera agents.
The Astana Opera Academy was also represented in the competition by tenor Oraz Mukhamediyar and accompanist Zaru Zhazykbayeva, who completed their participation after the first round. Bass from Russia Alexey Kulagin won the Grand Prix. The winners of the competition received monetary prizes, as well as an opportunity to make their debuts at the best opera houses and musical theatres of Russia.
The preliminary audition of potential contestants was held from June 1 to October 24, 2022, based on video recordings of performances of two different arias. Thus, 37 participants were selected for the first round, where they performed arias from the proposed list. In the second round, the contestants had to leave their comfort zone: they had to perform a duet with a vocalist-illustrator, as well as perform arias from classical operettas and sing folk songs ‘a cappella’. The final round, which included 12 participants, was not easy either. They performed arias from operas by Russian and European composers of the 19th to 21st centuries, accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Hundreds of fans supported the singer from Astana.
«All the competitors are strong and worthy vocalists,» Guldana Aldadossova shared. «Frankly, I did not expect that I would reach the final. In the first two rounds, it was necessary to sing arias from the list prepared by the organizers. All of them were new to me; I had not performed them before. The real challenge was the necessity to perform an aria from an operetta and sing a folk song without accompaniment.»
According to the opera academy soloist, her goal was to show the whole world that there are vocalists in Kazakhstan who can compete with the world’s best performers, as they have amazing voices and timbres.
«Overall, I am satisfied with my performance, although there are nuances that I have to work on. The understanding came that with each competition I discover new emotions, gain experience, draw conclusions about what the jury pays attention to,» Guldana says. «Participation in this kind of musical competition is the best motivation to work and improve, learn parts, and languages. This is important, since managers and agents, who can contribute to your career, come to such competitions.»
It is important to emphasize that music critics noticed Guldana Aldadossova immediately after the first round, calling her «a real gem of the Moscow opera stage.» «Her stunningly beautiful voice, freely and easily singing all conceivable and inconceivable ornamentations, flowed in an endless stream. The impeccably performed aria of Lucia from the opera Lucia di Lammermoor delighted me – it is a tough nut to crack for many artists,» Philip Geller wrote at classicalmusicnews.ru.
Photo: astanaopera.kz