Astana Opera

Astana Opera
Астана Oпера
General information
Status	Completed
Location	Astana, Kazakhstan
Coordinates	51°8′8″N 71°24′39.3″E / 51.13556°N 71.410917°E / 51.13556; 71.410917
Inaugurated	2013
Cost	$300 million[1]
Height
Top floor	32 m
Dimensions
Other dimensions	Scene area of 3.000 m2
Technical details
Floor area	64.163 m2
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Arlotti-Beccu-Desideri-Raimondo (ABDR)[2]
Services engineer	Theatreplan[3]
Main contractor	Mabetex Group
Other information
Seating capacity	1250 (Opera Hall), 250 (Chamber Hall)

Astana Opera (Kazakh: Астана Oпера) is an opera house in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the basis of an executive order of Nursultan Nazarbayev.^[4]

The design has been partially made by Nursultan Nazarbayev, and the construction began on 6 July 2010^[4] under direction of Mabetex Group.^[5] The Opera House sits on a 9 ha site. The opera house opened in 2013, the inaugurative representation being the Kazakh opera Birzhan and Sara.^[6] The acoustics of the theatre is considered one of the best in the world and it was designed by the Italian Enrico Moretti ^[7] (Biobyte ^[8]) and Maria Cairoli.

The opera house includes two halls:

• the Main Hall (1250 seats), which hosts opera and ballet performances, and has an orchestra pit with room for up to 120 musicians,
• the Chamber Hall (250 seats), for chamber music concerts.^[9]

It is the second newly built opera house in Astana, as the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, hosting a 1500 seats opera hall, was completed in 2006. It is considered the third biggest opera house in the world;^[2] one of its remarkable characteristics is the 1.6 ton chandelier hanging in the 13 m high concourse. The opera house has also several facilities, such as a restaurant and all installations required for the troupe's rehearsals. The style of the opera house is inspired by the Ancient Greek architecture,but also include typical elements of the national heritage, such as frescos of Sharyn Canyon and Burabay.^[4]

The opera house hosts its own orchestra, ballet, and opera troupe, playing mostly classical opera. Their repertoire includes major classical pieces, such as the opera La traviata or Tosca and the ballet The Nutcracker, but also national pieces, such as the operas Abai and Birzhan and Sara.^[10] The orchestra is 90% young musicians. The troupe was on tour in 2014, performing in New York City,^[11] Toronto and Paris.^[12]

Here are some videos recorded inside the opera house or in the nearby area:

1. Astana Opera House
2. Sara Birzhan performance
3. Ballet performance in Astana Opera House
4. Celebration of victory day in front of Astana Opera House

• Aidar Abzhakhanov, conductor at Astana Opera