Astana Opera singer is invited to work in Italy

A singer of Astana Opera Medet Chotabayev has received a job offer from Italy, Tengrinews reports. "I will work under a contract for two months in Italy starting from September. Recently, I participated in a contest held in Italian Busseto, and I was invited to perform a part in Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi. The world is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the great and famous composer Giuseppe Verdi this year. It is the most difficult contest in the world, 300 people took part in it. What makes it so difficult is that is requires performance of complex compositions by Verdi," Chotabayev said. According to the singer, famous singers like Leloucci, a baritone performing all around the world including at Teatro alla Scala of Milan, Metropolitan Opera of New York, were among those invited to the contest. Famous conductor Donato Renzetti also took part in the event. "Of course, it is a big step in my career to work with the great opera musicians. At one of the contest's stages I was offered a part in the Luisa Miller. I took the offer and withdrew from the contest. I will perform in Busseto city, where maitre Verdi was born. Local residents already recognize us, because we are rehearsing at the city square every day in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere," the artist said. "Europe is the motherland of opera; world's best signers come to Europe to study, work and perform. It is nice to know that an invitation to perform in Europe means you are high class singer. But I wouldn't say that opera in Kazakhstan is underdeveloped. There are talented professionals with excellent voices, musicians and singers, in our country. Now we have more chances to get people to know us once the grand theater Astana Opera opened. There are a lot of events held at Astana Opera, the theater's management is negotiating cooperation with Milan's Teatro alla Scala, Moscow's Bolshoi Theater and other world class theaters. A whole new music world is being created and there is no longer a need to go abroad anymore. The best teachers will come and teach Kazakhstan musicians, and we will get an opportunity to listen to them and learn from them," the singer said. He also pointed out several shortages of Kazakhstan's opera school. "You know, when I arrived to Italy, everybody said that I was well prepared in terms of technics and vocal, but not the artistic execution. And it is clearly so. I am a Kazakh, not an Italian. Unfortunately, we aren’t taught how to express character. I don't mean Kazakh music, I'm talking about Italian and German pieces. One should understand the language and live in the (European) atmosphere or study here for some time to come to understand their spirit and feelings," Chotabayev said. By Altynai Zhumzhumina