Paris, 18 September 2026 — A gala concert entitled “Voice of an Era”, dedicated to the centenary of the outstanding Kazakh opera singer Ermek Serkebaev, was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

The event was attended by Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Kyrykbayev, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo, and representatives of the diplomatic corps, the Kazakh diaspora and French civil society.

At the initiative of Kazakhstan, Ermek Serkebaev’s centenary was included in the list of anniversaries with which UNESCO is associated in 2026, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to world culture and the arts.

Prior to the concert, Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Kyrykbayev held a bilateral meeting with UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany. The parties discussed current issues of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Organization, including the nominations to international registers and safeguarding of the country’s monuments of material culture and its rich spiritual and documentary heritage, as well as the activities of the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty.

At the concert’s opening ceremony, the Minister highlighted the special place of the celebrated artist’s legacy in the history of Kazakhstan’s national culture and the significance of commemorating his centenary internationally.

“Ermek Serkebaev was one of the outstanding performers who made a major contribution to the development of Kazakhstan’s national school of musical theatre and brought Kazakh opera to the world stage. It is, of course, a great honour for Kazakhstan to celebrate his anniversary at UNESCO today. I see this evening as a continuation of the creative dialogue between the singer and his audience,” said Kyrykbayev.

In his turn, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo emphasized Ermek Serkebaev’s importance to world culture and his role in strengthening mutual understanding among peoples.

“Through the many roles he created and performed, he made a profound contribution to the development of Kazakh opera and to its recognition beyond Kazakhstan. His career reminds us that artists can serve as powerful ambassadors of culture. Through music, artists carry stories, traditions, emotions and values across borders, allowing audiences from different backgrounds to discover one another and find common ground,” stressed Lazare Eloundou Assomo.

“For several generations of Kazakhs, Ermek Serkebaev became a symbol of artistic excellence and an entire era in the history of our national culture. Through his performances around the world, he also introduced international audiences to Kazakh opera, while remaining steadfastly devoted to his country and helping to establish our own national school of professional musicians through his extensive work as a pedagogue,” added Askar Abdrakhmanov, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Kazakhstan to UNESCO.

The programme of the evening, entitled “Voice of an Era”, was presented by the soloists, chorus and symphony orchestra of the Abai Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre. The UNESCO stage featured works from the Kazakh and international operatic canon, as well as pieces that held a special place in Ermek Serkebaev’s repertoire.

The programme included works by Mukan Tulebaev, Akhmet Zhubanov, Latif Khamidi and Sydyq Mukhamedzhanov, Kazakh folk songs, and masterpieces of the international operatic repertoire by Charles Gounod, Piotr Tchaikovsky, Gioachino Rossini and Georges Bizet. The pieces performed included Serke’s aria from the opera Aisulu, Robert’s aria from Iolanta, Figaro’s cavatina from The Barber of Seville, Valentin’s aria from Faust, the Habanera from Carmen, and others.

Leading soloists of the Abai Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre, representing the contemporary Kazakh school of opera, performed on the UNESCO stage that evening. They were joined by the theatre’s chorus and symphony orchestra. A special place in the programme was given to the performance by the celebrated singer’s niece, Zhamilya Serkebayeva, who played vibrant works from the repertoire of Kazakh national music on the violin.

Ermek Serkebaev (1926–2013) is one of the foremost figures in the history of Kazakh music. Possessing a unique baritone and exceptional acting talent, he devoted more than six decades to the operatic stage, creating a remarkable gallery of vivid characters from the national and international repertoire.

Serkebaev’s artistry played a significant role in the development and international recognition of the Kazakh school of opera. His many years of teaching also helped nurture a new generation of Kazakhstani performers and preserve the continuity of the national vocal tradition.

The “Voice of an Era” concert at UNESCO was one of the central events of the year commemorating Ermek Serkebaev’s centenary and provided another opportunity to introduce international audiences to Kazakhstan’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary performing arts.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-unesco/press/news/details/1294904?lang=ru