The Kurmangazy Kazakh National Orchestra of Folk Instruments holds a unique and pioneering place in the history of Kazakhstan’s instrumental musical art. It is the first orchestra of its kind established on Kazakh soil. The orchestra traces its origins back to 1933, when academician Akhmet Kuanovich Zhubanov formed an ensemble of eleven dombra players at the Musical Drama College in Almaty.
The official foundation date of the orchestra is April 23, 1934, when by Order No. 425 of the People’s Commissariat of Education of the Kazakh SSR, Akhmet Zhubanov was appointed conductor and artistic director. On June 1, 1934, the dombra ensemble made its first public appearance at the First All-Kazakhstan Congress of Folk Art Figures.
Following the congress, a resolution was adopted to establish a national orchestra of folk instruments to serve collective farms, state farms, and industrial communities, with salaries funded by the state budget. As a result, on June 25, 1934, Order No. 220 declared the establishment of the First Kazakh National Orchestra named after the Kazakh Central Executive Committee at the Musical Drama College.
The orchestra achieved international acclaim through its triumphant performances at the Bolshoi Theatre of the USSR in 1936 and 1958 during the Decades of Kazakh Art, in 2006 at the Grand Hall of UNESCO Headquarters in Paris commemorating the 100th anniversary of Akhmet Zhubanov, and during extensive tours across Europe, America, China, Kazakhstan, and UN member states. In 1953, under the direction of Shamgon Kazhygaliyev, the orchestra became a laureate of the Fourth World Festival of Youth and Students in Bucharest and was awarded a gold medal.
The founder and first conductor of the orchestra, academician and professor Akhmet Zhubanov, laid the foundation of Kazakh orchestral performance. The organizational structure, tuning principles, and development of new instruments were inspired by the V. Andreyev Orchestra. Over the years, the ensemble has been enriched by young professional musicians, and today it comprises approximately 90 performers.
With nearly a century-long history, the orchestra has toured almost 80 countries worldwide, including France, Italy, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, China, Russia, and Turkey, proudly presenting Kazakh national music on the global stage.
Throughout its history, the orchestra has brought together outstanding figures of Kazakh musical art—conductors and performers whose names are engraved in cultural history, including Akhmet Zhubanov, Latif Khamidi, Fuat Mansurov, Shamgon Kazhygaliyev, Nurgisa Tlendiev, Karshyga Akhmediyarov, Bibigul Tulegenova, Ermek Serkebayev, and many others.
A special place is rightfully held by the orchestra’s founder, first artistic director, and chief conductor—People’s Artist of Kazakhstan, composer, academician Akhmet Kuanovich Zhubanov. He was succeeded by People’s Artist of the USSR, State Prize laureate, and holder of the Order of Otan, Professor Shamgon Kazhygaliyev.
In 1944, on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the orchestra was named after the renowned composer Kurmangazy. In 1967, it received the title “Honored Collective of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” in 1978 it was granted Academic Orchestra status, and in 1984 it was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples. In 2020, by Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the orchestra was granted National status.
Today, the orchestra consists of 90 highly skilled musicians and is led by a young and talented conductor, Abylai Tilepbergen. The orchestra’s repertoire includes more than 5,000 works, encompassing both national and world classical masterpieces. In the era of globalization, the ensemble actively contributes to the development of contemporary Kazakh culture, striving to make high-quality professional music accessible to the public and to revive the musical heritage of the Great Steppe.
