New project of Astana Opera International Opera Academy
«The first academic month of the academy’s work is completed, and we can already take stock of the work done, while presenting the young performers to the audience at the same time. This performance will open a new concert series ASTANA OPERA International Opera Academy Presents, to which we are happy to invite everyone. We prepared an interesting and varied program for the audience, which features works by Mozart, Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Leoncavallo and Tchaikovsky. Most of the works are not included in the opera house’s repertoire, which means that the audience will hear these creations performed by the young singers for the first time. We hope that the new voices will leave a mark in the hearts of the audience and give an unforgettable musical evening,» Timur Urmancheyev, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, artistic director of the ASTANA OPERA International Opera Academy, said.
The name of the concert program «UNO, DUE, TRE...» was not chosen by chance. It marks the start of a difficult, but at the same time informative course of study, which the attendees of the International Academy will have to undergo.
The theme of the concert is duets, tercets and ensembles from operas. Ensemble performance requires maximum concentration, vocal mastery and a sense of partnership in singing. In combination, this indicates the level of skill. Singing in an ensemble is an essential skill for all singers planning to dedicate their lives to opera. The attendees and teachers of the academy have prepared a diverse program consisting of lyrical, dramatic and even comic scenes.
«We had a month to prepare, so that the singers could learn the works, feel their characters and express the whole range of emotions, set by the composer, with their voice. In addition to the ability to sing in an ensemble, it is important to correctly interpret the music and bring a part of yourself into it, which will make it unique,» Anatoli Goussev, the teacher of the Opera Academy, Professor of opera singing from Italy, said.
Attendees work daily on vocal technique and repertoire, learn Italian language and improve their acting skills to be more free and organic onstage.
«For me, every performance is always a celebration. The stage is my life. We, singers, love solo works, but there are many ensembles, duets, terzets in operas. Thus, being able to perform them is very important for participating in opera performances. Working on a duet is painstaking work. You need to know your part exactly and listen to your partners, transform into your heroine and become part of the opera plot in order to correctly convey the emotions of the duet scene,» Dariga Mussayeva, the academy’s attendee, shared.
«I am happy and excited at the same time. For any singer, each stage appearance is excitement, and when the students sing, it is also a big responsibility for me. I feel worry and excitement along with them. It is important for us to show the work done in the first month, although this period is very short for classes with a new teacher. The voice is an instrument that requires constant work, correct tuning and careful handling,» Francesco Medda, the teacher of the Opera Academy, Italian maestro of opera singing, emphasized.
«We express sincere gratitude to the Halyk Charity Fund, which pays great attention to the preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage and popularization of art, for their support. The financial assistance provided by the Halyk Charity Fund was aimed at the establishment of the academy and the development of the operatic art of our country,» - the representatives of the ASTANA OPERA International Opera Academy noted.