Italy and Kazakhstan celebrate cultural ties in Rome as Holy See embassy opens

Held at the Grand Academic Hall of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory, the concert featured works by Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini alongside compositions by Akhmet Zhubanov and Latif Khamidi.

The Grand Academic Hall of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory known for its monumental pipe organ and soaring 14-metre ceilings. (The Grand Academic Hall of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory known for its monumental pipe organ and soaring 14-metre ceilings.)

The evening also marked the 120th anniversary of Akhmet Zhubanov’s birth – Kazakhstan’s first professional conductor, widely regarded as one of the founding figures of Kazakh classical music.

The concert was conducted by Elmar Buribayev, Zhubanov’s great-grandson, while Serbian violinist Ilija Marinković presented Zhubanov’s aria for violin and orchestra.

Soloists from Astana Opera shared the stage with performers from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory, including Kazakh soprano Maria Mudryak.

Kazakh opera singers Medet Chotabayev and Mariya Mudryak performed on the stage of the Grand Academic Hall of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. (Kazakh opera singers Medet Chotabayev and Mariya Mudryak performed on the stage of the Grand Academic Hall of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome.)

“It was truly a special and unforgettable experience to perform on the stage of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and represent Kazakhstan at this event,” Mudryak said.

Held in the heart of Rome, the concert reflected growing cultural ties between Kazakhstan and Italy through music, opera and shared classical traditions.