On September 15, at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Astana, renowned Kazakh qobyz player Olzhas Qurmanbek filled the hall with fans of the ancient Kazakh instrument.

he concert opened with Olzhas’s original composition, “Nomad,” performed by the virtuoso qobyz player alongside a string orchestra, the group “Saz & Soul,” and master sobyzgy player Sanzhai Almishev.

Unique arrangements of soundtracks from well-known films told the audience a variety of stories. The magical sounds of the qobyz unveiled the mysteries of the shifting sands in “Dune,” led through battlefields in “Braveheart” and “Gladiator,” shared love stories from “Magnificent Century” and “Titanic,” immersed listeners in the fantasy worlds of “The Myth” and “Game of Thrones,” and narrated the dramatic tale of the Kazakh film “Shal.”

That evening, by performing remixes of modern hits like Billie Eilish’s “Lovely” and Loreen’s “Tattoo,” in collaboration with DJ Puza, Olzhas demonstrated that the traditional national instrument, in skilled hands, can thrive in any genre.

Special guests of the evening included the dombra duo Temirlan Olzhabay and Yernat Nauryz, who performed the compositions “Bastau” and “Alem,” and joined Olzhas for their joint hit “Zaman.”

Guitarist Murat Zainula captivated the audience with a surprising interpretation of the Kazakh song “Dudarai.”

Renowned composer Renat Gaisin delighted the crowd with his original compositions “River of Love” and “Angel Love,” performed on the keyboard and melodica.

A special guest of the concert was Dimash Qudaibergen. Greeting the audience and congratulating Olzhas, Dimash said:

“I am very glad that I have a friend who makes a unique contribution to the development of our country’s culture. In the future, we hope and believe that Olzhas’s followers and students will perform on such grand stages and arenas. I believe that there is no qobyz player like Olzhas in contemporary Kazakh culture. Let’s wish that many will follow his creative path.”

To support his friend, Dimash performed the kuy “Adai” by Kurmangazy on the dombra together with Olzhas and Temirlan.