ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The State Opera and Ballet Theater “Astana Opera” has recently arranged its tour across Kazakhstan’s prominent industrial cities, supported by the country’s Ministry of Culture and Information and Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a global metals and mining company.
The tour included consecutive performances in Pavlodar, Aktobe, Khromtau and Rudny – all the towns of ERG’s operational presence – attracting approximately 7,000 attendees from manufacturing enterprises and local communities. This initiative is part of Kazakhstan’s Year of Vocational Professions.
Shukhrat Ibragimov, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ERG, and a Member of the Board of Trustees of the State Opera and Ballet Theater “Astana Opera,” stated: “An important part of the work we do at ERG is to help develop Kazakhstan not only economically but also in the social and cultural sphere, and supporting brilliant projects of the Astana Opera has always been important for us.”
“In a way, the Astana Opera symbolizes the excellence with which Kazakhstani society tackles projects symbolising the country’s strong and unique authenticity and taking further its sustainable development, and we are proud to always be by its side,” he added.
A highlight of the tour was the performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Orlando Furioso” at Pavlodar’s Yestai Culture Palace. Lead performers included Sultan Bakytzhan as Orlando, Saltanat Muratbekova as Alcina, and Saltanat Akhmetova as Bradamante.
Additionally, opera soloists led by Talgat Mussabayev, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan and director of the Opera company, visited Aluminium of Kazakhstan JSC, an ERG subsidiary.
Together with a number of ERG’s employees, the artists performed the song “Qusni – Qorlan,” composed by Pavlodar Region native Yestai Berkimbaiuly.
Serik Shakhazhanov, general director of Eurasian Resources Group in Kazakhstan, explained: “Supporting culture and art is an integral part of our corporate philosophy. We are proud to be able to contribute to making high art, classical opera in particular, accessible to residents of the regions. The Astana Opera tour as part of the Year of Vocational Professions is a unique opportunity to unite the world of art and industry, to inspire and culturally enrich all those involved. Such initiatives help not only to support cultural heritage, but also to strengthen the sense of national unity and pride in our future.”
A special educational program, “Music Draws and Tells,” delighted children during the tour. Maestro Abzal Mukhitdin and musicologist Tolganai Artykbayeva introduced young listeners to operatic voices and orchestral instruments.
In the interpretation of the capital’s creative team, the production struck the viewers’ imagination with a wealth of artistic and musical imagery, taking audiences all over Kazakhstan into the world of magic, heroism, comedy, intrigue and fantasy.
One of the members of the public, Zhumabike Kaliyeva, mother of eight children and holder of the Altyn Alqa medal, awarded by the Republic of Kazakhstan to mothers who have raised at least seven kids, said: “I am in an incredibly high spirits. What a magnificent orchestra, how beautiful the set design is and what wonderful costumes the artists are wearing! I understand how much work is behind all this. Although it was performed in Italian, thanks to the artists’ masterful portrayals, we were able to deeply feel the opera.”
Alexandr Sovostyanov, General Director of Astana Opera, summarized the significance of the tour: “It is art that reflects traditions, customs, history, and values of our people, conveys our intangible heritage, contributes to the formation of national identity, educating and bringing together people of different ages, with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, the creative team’s tour under the umbrella of the Year of Vocational Professions is not only a recognition of the importance of the areas of expertise of these working careers but also an opportunity for artists to contribute to the development and popularisation of these occupations. We hope that such tours will continue and we will be able to come to other cities of Kazakhstan.”
Another attendee of the tour of the Astana Opera, Lyudmila Kuznetsova, explained: “I enjoyed Antonio Vivaldi’s magnificent music, which touched the deepest strings of my soul, the artists’ sincere performance, and the resonant sound of the instruments. Understanding how difficult the solo parts are, I was amazed at how easily the performers hit the high notes.”
“I would like to express my gratitude to all the artists and wish them creative success. Let there be as many interesting roles and grateful viewers as possible,” she also mentioned.
Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) is a global metals and mining company which employs more than 67,000 people and is one of the largest in the industry. It sells its products in more than 40 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
The company’s main shareholder is the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (40% stake). Its CEO is Shukhrat Ibragimov, who was appointed in 2024 and brings many years of industry experience.
With integrated mining, processing, energy, logistics, and marketing operations, ERG is one of the world’s largest producers of ferrochrome and cobalt, and a leading international supplier of copper and iron ore. It is also one of the largest suppliers of alumina and aluminium in Eurasia.
In Kazakhstan, the Group works through multiple production entities, including Kazchrome, Sokolov-Sarbai Iron Ore Mining Production Association (SSGPO), Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter, Aluminium of Kazakhstan, and Eurasian Energy Corporation. ERG is also a key power supplier and a large railway operator in Central Asia.
In Africa, ERG has large operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including Metalkol and Frontier. In the past few years. Metalkol has become one of the world’s largest producers of cobalt and a major producer of copper.
Photos are courtesy of the press office of the Astana Opera.
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