The legendary Spanish tenor, iconic voice of Barcelona and the world, Maestro José Carreras, performed two solo concerts in Kazakhstan as part of his farewell tour.

On June 25, the distinguished artist received a standing ovation at the Central Concert Hall “Kazakhstan” in Astana, and on June 28, the Maestro was warmly welcomed by audiences at the Koktobe hall in the country’s southern capital.

José Carreras’ son, Albert, shared his impressions of the Maestro’s concerts in Kazakhstan with DimashNews:

“The concerts were magnificent! The Maestro truly enjoyed performing for the Kazakh audience. It wasn’t his first visit to Astana and Almaty, but coming to your beautiful country is always something special.

The Kazakh audience is incredibly warm and welcoming.
We noticed how well the audience knew the repertoire, and it felt like they genuinely enjoyed the concerts. It was a real pleasure for the Maestro to perform for his Kazakh fans again – it’s always a special feeling!”

José Carreras began his artistic journey 70 years ago, debuting on stage at just eight years old. He trained at the Conservatory of the Liceu Theatre, where he first appeared in the role of Flavio in Norma. The legendary soprano Montserrat Caballé, who performed the title role, recommended the young tenor for lead roles in other productions. Over the course of his long and illustrious career, the Maestro has sung roles in more than 60 operas.

In 1988, after overcoming a life-threatening illness, Carreras established the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation, dedicated to supporting research into the treatment of leukemia.

His artistic path is filled with extraordinary performances, including the Barcelona Olympic Games, and of course, the iconic Three Tenors concerts with his legendary colleagues Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo – a shining example of artistic and vocal brilliance.

During the Maestro’s concert in Almaty, renowned Kazakh opera soprano Zarina Altynbayeva joined him on stage.

Dimash Qudaibergen attended the Almaty concert as a guest.

Before performing one of his most beloved songs, “My Way,” José Carreras invited Dimash on stage, saying:

“With your permission, I would like to dedicate the next song to my wonderful colleague and dear friend — Dimash.”

Upon taking the stage, Dimash addressed the audience:

“Ladies and gentlemen,
I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our guest, our Maestro.
It’s a great honor for me to welcome you to Kazakhstan. Thank you for this unforgettable experience!

A couple of months ago, I had the chance to sing with you – with a true legend. I think I’m the happiest singer in the world. Thank you so much!”

(Editor’s note: A performance featuring Dimash, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Hauser recently aired on the show “Virtuosos,” where they performed “My Way” together.)