That day, the sounds of balls and the coach's whistle were absent from the gym — the space was filled with exquisite arias by Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini, and the students held their breath in admiration.
According to the press service of the Kyrgyz National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Abdylas Maldybaev, a concert featuring the theater's soloists took place at the Orozaly Tekeiev Secondary School, located in the village of Bukara in the Panfilov District of Chui Region.
This educational initiative, aimed at introducing children to classical art, was organized by the theater's director, Nayla Rakhmadieva.
The local residents eagerly awaited the arrival of the artists. The gym, which accommodated everyone who wished to attend, was filled with students, their parents, friends, and villagers.
On stage performed People's Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic Baktybek Ibykeev, Honored Artists Aizirek Momunova, Aibek Saralaev, Nurzhigit Asanov, as well as international competition winners Kristina Sevastyanova, Salima Mamatova, and Murat Derbishaliev. The concertmaster was Nurzhan Toktobekova.
The students listened with interest to arias from the works of Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Gioachino Rossini, Charles Gounod, and Ruggero Leoncavallo, as well as compositions by Kyrgyz composers, including Nasyr Davlesov, Kalyi Moldobasanov, Atai Ogonbaev, Ashyraaly Aytaliev, and Musa Bayetov. For many children, this was their first opportunity to see live opera music.
Workshops were a pleasant surprise for the participants: vocal classes were conducted by baritone and People's Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic Baktybek Ibykeev, while artists from the "M" gallery, under the guidance of Meerim Akmatkulova, held workshops on visual arts. In an informal setting, the children were able to ask professionals questions and learn more about creative professions.
The audience warmly sent off the artists with applause and words of gratitude. After the concert, the hall remained full for a long time — children shared their impressions, filled with delight. This meeting undoubtedly left a pleasant mark in the hearts of the young listeners and reminded them that great art can come to any corner, even to a school gym.
