A concert celebrating the 180th anniversary of Abai Kunanbayev took place in Astana.

In honor of the 180th anniversary of the remarkable poet-educator, philosopher, and composer Abai Kunanbaev, a concert titled “The Song Awakes the Sleeping Heart” was held at the "Astana Opera" theater. This evening featured the premiere of a cycle of romances by composer Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev based on the verses of Abai. Among them are “My dear land, my homeland, my beloved people,” “When it was July in summer,” “My heart has turned away from both friends and foes…” and other works.

The concert program also included the romances “I write you greetings,” “The language of the lover is a silent tongue,” “Sometimes your foolish heart,” “Love, passion – they are two paths,” arias from the opera “Abai” by Akhmet Zhubanova and Latifa Khamidi, as well as musical pieces by Sydyka Mukhamzhanov, Mansur Sagatov, and Evgeny Brusilovsky.

The concert “The Song Awakes the Sleeping Heart” kicked off a series of events dedicated to the anniversary of Abai Kunanbaev. New concerts featuring works by other composers inspired by his poetry are scheduled for the fall at “Astana Opera.”

We remind you that the "Astana Opera" theater carefully preserves the legacy of Abai. In 2015, the premiere of the opera “Abai” by Akhmet Zhubanova and Latifa Khamidi, based on the libretto by Mukhtar Auezov, took place here, and in 2018, the production was awarded the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan.