The UNESCO headquarters hosted the grand opening of the exhibition "The Origins of Inspiration: The Legacy of Nurgisa Tlendiev", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. The exhibition became an international recognition of Nurgisa Tlendiev, a composer, conductor, Halyk kaharmany and a legend of Kazakh music, whose name is forever inscribed in the Golden Fund of not only Kazakh, but also world culture.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Nurgisa Tlendiev's birth. This significant date is included in the UNESCO Calendar of Commemorations.

The exhibition features about 70 unique exhibits from the funds of the Almaty City Museum Association: rare manuscripts, scores, personal belongings, as well as the legendary "Dariga Dombira", presented to the composer by Akhmet Zhubanov, the one who first saw the talent in young Nurgis and recommended his mother to send her son to a music college.

"When we entered the hall and I saw the exhibits, a shudder ran through my body. It was very exciting. I'm filled with pride. I am grateful to the Akimat of Almaty and UNESCO. My father was incredibly simple and human. As simple as it is ingenious. Everything he created was born out of a deep love for the Kazakh people and his native land. Dad mostly wrote music at night. He wrote down the works manually, like letters, with an ordinary pen, on large score sheets. He had absolute pitch, so precise that he didn't have to check how it would sound on instruments. The music was already perfect in his head. All that remained was to have time to transfer it to paper," recalls his daughter, the artistic director and chief conductor of the folklore and ethnographic orchestra "Otyrar Sazy" Dinzukhra Tlendieva.

Among the guests of the opening ceremony were ambassadors and diplomats of UNESCO member countries, representatives of the Organization's Secretariat, residents and guests of Paris, as well as compatriots living in France. The exhibition is open to the general public at UNESCO headquarters until June 19, 2025.

"Nurgisa Tlendiev's music has played an important role in shaping modern Kazakh identity. He relied on the spiritual memory of his people, remaining open to modernity. His work reflects what we value in all cultures: the power of combining different elements. One note can be beautiful, but only the combination of many notes creates harmony. It's the same in the world: by respecting different voices, we can build something truly meaningful. This idea is at the heart of UNESCO's mandate to strengthen peace through dialogue and cooperation between cultures," said UNESCO Deputy Director General for Culture Ernesto Ottone.

The exhibition includes national musical instruments of the Kazakh and other Turkic-speaking peoples. It consists of six thematic sections, each of which reveals a different aspect of cultural heritage: from the sources of inspiration to the broad context of the Kazakh musical tradition.

"This event is not just a tribute to the great master, but also a testimony to the living tradition of Kazakh and Turkic music, which continues to develop, including thanks to the legacy he left behind," said Askar Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to UNESCO.

The exhibition is organized by the Association of Museums of Almaty with the support of the Akimat of Almaty and the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to UNESCO in Paris and the Foundation for Turkic Culture and Heritage. The project is aimed at popularizing the musical heritage of the Kazakh people in the international arena and provides a rare opportunity to get acquainted with the work of the legendary founder of the orchestra "Otyrar Sazy".

"Nurgisa Tlendiev is an outstanding composer whose work covers the genres of song, kuya, romance, poem, opera, ballet and cantata. There is a memorial museum in Almaty, the apartment of the composer Nurgisa Tlendiev, as well as a monument in his honor. Today we presented a large-scale exhibition at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, which is a manifestation of the deep respect of the world community for the cultural heritage of our people and the personality of Nurgisa Tlendiev. Also, by the end of the year, the Alatau Theater of Traditional Art will present a performance dedicated to the composer in Almaty. We are implementing an extensive program dedicated to the 100th anniversary of his birth," said Altynai Alimkhanova, Head of the Department of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Almaty Department of Culture.

Nurgisa Tlendiev is one of the greatest figures of Kazakh musical culture, the author of more than 500 works that have become part of the golden fund of national art. He has written music for more than 50 dramatic performances and about 20 feature films. At the age of 12, he was already appointed concertmaster of the orchestra, and at 14 he assisted the chief conductor of the orchestra, learning from the experience of Nausha Bokeikhanov, a student of Salauatkerei.

Despite his age, Tlendiev went to the front in 1943. After returning, he graduated from the Department of Folk Instruments at the Kurmangazy Kazakh State Conservatory. Then he went to Moscow and continued his studies at the local conservatory, becoming the first Kazakh at the school.

"The Association of Museums of Almaty takes an active part in the social and cultural life of Kazakhstan. With the support of the Akimat, we have held a number of exhibitions in countries such as South Korea, Turkey, Hungary, Serbia, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic. It was also held in France for the first time, and this time our exhibition is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Nurgisa Tlendiev's birth, which we are all very proud of. It is a great honor and the result of a lot of hard work. In Almaty, we are re-exhibiting the Tdendiev Museum, organizing various thematic events, striving to make his legacy closer to new generations. We believe that the maestro's music and history are capable of uniting cultures and inspiring hearts – both in Kazakhstan and far beyond its borders," said Lyazzat Sagyndykova, Director of the Almaty City Museum Association.

During his career, Nurgisa Tlendiev was the chief conductor of the Kazakh Opera and Ballet Theater named after Abai, the Kazakh State Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments named after Kurmangazy and the orchestra of folk Instruments "Otyrar Sazy" organized by himself.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/almaty-almaly/press/news/details/1018844?lang=kk