New York (Top40 Charts/ Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory) - The Symphony Orchestra of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory and the Kazakh traditional music ensemble Turan make their North American debut November 2009.
Produced by IMG Artists, Kazakhstan's Symphony Orchestra and Turan travel to five US cities, performing at the Saban Theater in Los Angeles November 15; at Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley November 17; at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC November 20; at the Kresge Auditorium in Boston November 22; and finally at Carnegie Hall in New York City November 23.
The North American debut of Turan and the Symphony Orchestra showcases two facets of Kazakhstan's rich musical culture: the ancient instrumental and vocal folk traditions of its historically nomadic people, and the European tradition of classical music introduced to the country through Russian influence.
"The students from the National Conservatory, all enormously talented, are ecstatic to be coming to the United States," said Charles Letourneau, Director of Special Projects at IMG Artists. "We are equally excited to be hosting them here. In addition to performing at some of the country's most prestigious concert halls, they will engage in a number of cultural exchange and educational activities."
Under the direction of two rising star conductors, French conductor Christophe Mangou and Kazakh conductor Kanat Omarov, the program begins with the Symphony Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet-Overture Fantasy, followed by Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring celebrated Kazakh pianist Jania Aubakirova as soloist.
Kazakh traditional music ensemble Turan takes the stage to perform a traditional composition, titled Kerogly, in addition to traditional songs. Founded in 2008 by a group of students from the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory, the members of Turan are award-winning folk artists who have performed globally. Turan performs on ancient Kazakh instruments, including the lute-like zhetygen, sherter, and dombra (all plucked); the kyl kobyz ('the most ancient bowed instrument on earth'); the flute-like sybyzgy and saz syrnay; together with a host of percussive instruments, mouth harps, and throat singing.
The program continues with the world premiere of Jamilya, a symphonic poem for Turan as soloists with orchestra by award-winning contemporary Kazakh composer Aktoty Raimkulova. The program concludes with the William Tell Overture, the famous finale from Rossini's last opera and Bernstein's Overture to Candide.
This tour is made possible by Chevron Corporation, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the ENRC-????? corporative fund, SC Kazkommertsbank, KazRosGas LLP, Lufthansa, Siemens LLP, Yerlan Barlybayev, Kanat Bozumbayev, and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United States of America.
