Prominent conductor Giuseppe Acquaviva, whose work is well known to the Kazakh audiences from his performances at Astana Opera’s Grand Hall, on October 27 will be performing at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall for the first time. Under the Italian Maestro’s baton, the opera house’s symphony orchestra will perform an unforgettable evening of classical music, featuring works by Mendelssohn and Bruch, QazMonitor reports citing the press service of Astana Opera.
It is important to emphasize that, as part of his close collaboration with the Kazakh opera house and as its art director, Giuseppe Acquaviva has organized numerous tours for the company to Italy, the UAE, and Oman, conducted opera and ballet performances and concert programs on Astana Opera’s main stage, and also given master classes for artists.
At a musical evening at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall, together with the opera house’s principal first violin, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Bagdat Abilkhanov, Maestro Acquaviva and the orchestra musicians will present one of the most popular works of the Romantic era violin repertoire – Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26. Deeply lyrical, passionate, and dramatic, this work has become beloved by audiences for its unique beauty, sincerity, and melodic expressiveness.
“In Bruch’s concerto, a powerful opening gives way to a broad, lyrical, and pensive melody at the heart of the work, while the contrasting finale adds a touch of brilliance,” Maestro Acquaviva noted. “The importance of the solo violin is undeniable, as the soloist’s part plays a central role. It is almost continuous and serves as a true storyteller, leading listeners through all the emotional twists and turns of the musical narrative,” the conductor says.
The evening’s program will also feature the vibrant Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 (the ‘Italian’) by Felix Mendelssohn, which combines romantic freshness and originality with classical clarity and elegance.
“Mendelssohn’s Fourth Symphony is a kind of musical diary for the composer, embodying his personal impressions from his travels across Italy that lasted nearly a year, encompassing Venice and Rome, Naples and the island of Capri, Florence and Milan. It is filled with sunlight, a sense of joie de vivre, and the dynamism and zest of Italian folklore,” the Maestro explained. “As an Italian, I am very pleased to bring to Kazakh audiences the full beauty of music inspired by the folk culture of my homeland,” Giuseppe Acquaviva concluded.
As a reminder, Maestro Acquaviva has an active touring schedule and has conducted at venues and music festivals in the Netherlands, Monaco, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, and other countries, as well as in numerous Italian cities. He is regularly invited as a jury member to prestigious international competitions. It is worth noting that over the years, he has received a number of awards, including the prestigious Premio Luigi Illica, one of significant Italian awards. For many years, Giuseppe Acquaviva was the artistic director of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and is currently the general director of the Teatro Sociale di Camogli.
The concert begins at 7:00 PM.
