In a land whose vocal traditions include the ancient, fascinating art of throat singing, few might expect to hear the dulcet and Archangelic tones more often associated with the great opera halls of Western Europe, the icons of the lyrical tradition dating back hundreds of years, its names engraved into the finest marble in palaces and concert halls across the timeless European capitals, and beyond.
Back in the days when Mozart was composing the peerless (IMHO) Don Giovanni, the Kazakh Steppe was alive with the nomadic ways of life and the immense authority of the Khans, kingdoms which perhaps no longer exist in reality, but are as much a part of Kazakh identity as The Magic Flute is of the European opera scene.
To have a singer who represents the meeting of East and West, retaining his own unique place in modern Kazakh history, is something that people of various ethnic groups in this country recognise as a source of pride, and while not quite a household name, Yerzhan Nurgaliyev has carved out a niche in his homeland and earned his place in history.
Yerzhan is from the Kazakh region of Zhambul, near the city of Taraz, and boasts a fine academic record, which culminated in a ten-year career as a law lecturer before he took to the stage.
“To say which one was my first profession, well, it’s up for grabs. My first education is in philology, and I graduated in Russian language and literature.
“After that, I entered the KazGUU Humanitarian and Law University, the most prestigious law school in Kazakhstan. And stayed there to teach. I have five higher educations, in fact, obtained through full-time study.
“For ten years, I taught in the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology. I even graduated with honours from my postgraduate programme, and then I worked on my dissertation.
“I spent a decade teaching, including some notable people in Kazakhstan who became top prosecutors, court officials, and government officials.”
As is invariably the case, change happens, and Yerzhan felt that his path lay elsewhere. Despite having embarked on another degree in Law, he made the decision to combine that with a period of musical study at the National Conservatory in Almaty, not to mention a course at the Zhurgenov KazGITIK theatre institute at the same time.
This was also a time of personal change, too, but driven by his passion for singing, he started taking lessons with a renowned operatic vocal coach, the late Nadiya Sharipova, who had also taught People’s Artist of the USSR, Alibek Dnishev.
“She gave me so much, even though she was in a wheelchair for much of the time we spent together.
“I lived next door, and I was often called on to help ambulance crews move her from her bed to a wheelchair at any time of day or night. We were very close, and she was a very strict teacher who didn’t work with just anybody.
“In our first lesson, when the chandelier on the ceiling swayed, she told me I had a voice in a million, but we had lots of hard work to do.”
Because of a conflict of interest, Yerzhan, unfortunately, did not complete his studies at the Conservatory, where his opera vocal teacher was the legendary singer and People’s Artist of the USSR, Ermek Serkebayev, who, like Nadiya Sharipova, left a written recommendation for the young artist’s promotion to the world’s best theatre stages.
One of his early wins as a professional singer was the ground-breaking song and video he made with his then 4-year-old son, Dimash. Their rendition of the famous, Time to Say Goodbye went viral and changed Yerzhan’s life, as well as that of his son, for a while, at least. People would stop them in the street wanting photographs, and the young Dimash became a trailblazer in his own way, as a host of other young stars were born on the back of his success.
By now far better known, the pair followed different paths for a while, Dimash starting school and his dad starting to sell theatres and concert halls out, a crowning moment coming when he featured in the My First Love festival in Almaty in a duet with none other than Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of the then President, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
“This duet happened thanks to our mutual teacher, who I mentioned at the beginning.
“From the opening rehearsal, it turned out that our voices blended. We performed Eugen Doga‘s legendary composition, ‘I Dream of the Sound of Rain’.
“And everything was wonderful, of course.
“How much did this influence me, my career, my life? It’s a tricky question. Yes, I started receiving offers of this nature so that I could buy an apartment in Kazakhstan, and so on.
“But from that point, I continued my career on my terms, with new goals and renewed optimism.”
This move led him to Russia, as this was the next big region to crack, and as he had been on all the big stages in Kazakhstan, Yerzhan felt that Moscow was the next step.
Yet there is so much in Russia that, even without a host of direct competitors, the music scene is so rich and diverse that people have more to choose from than they’d realistically have time to consume, meaning that the Tenor from Taraz has been delighted to take offers from, among others, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Moscow for appearances at concerts.
He has also performed at the Karelian State Philharmonic with the Onego Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments, where Kazakh folk songs were performed for the first time in the history of Karelia.
In his own words, he doesn’t think he is on “super-successful track”, but is kept busy with work, including many official and very prestigious shows.
“Being in Moscow means that there are so many different musicians, different music, concerts, theatres, plays, you know, different genres of music around you all the time.
“And it’s important for any musician to be surrounded by professionals. Therefore, when you find yourself in such an abundance of music, professional music and different music, of course, development happens. This is why I’ve completed many projects during this time.”
Still a Kazakhstani citizen, Yerzhan Nurgaliyev has also recorded songs and albums with Russian stars. He is periodically invited to travel to other Russian cities, for example, Krasnodar and the North Caucasus, and is known across the vast country as a respected singer and eloquent speaker, a showman and personality.
Part of the reason for this is his appearance on the famous Kazakh show, The Voice, televised blind auditions, perhaps like the X Factor, but with the judges facing the other way.
Much as with the traditional English FA Cup shock, Yerzhan wasn’t selected for the next round. His elimination from the series came as a surprise to many people, some of whom campaigned to have him reinstated.
“Of course, I was very pleased with the people’s reaction. But I took it on the chin and moved on.”
It is what it is, as they’d say in England.
This self-made man, the ninth child in a large family, has recorded several albums in Kazakh with over 40 releases in recent years, which are gaining popularity online, yet he believes that his best moments are yet to come, perhaps including a Kazakh language version of the Italian hit, Canto della Terra.
“If I realise that my work is becoming global in a way, then yes, a worldwide hit is my goal. A song that influences millions or billions of people.
“When you listen to a song, your mood changes. You were in a bad mood, you listen to the song, and you feel a change, emotionally. That’s what I think is truly worthy of attention, and represents the beauty of being a musician.”
Consider also that the singer has been awarded titles such as the Treasures of Russia medal, presented to him at the Kremlin in Moscow, as well as the title of International Diplomat, Singer of Peace. It makes his continued desire to achieve success all the more inspiring for others.
“Before that, I received the Grand Prix at the international competition Voices of the Planet.”
“There have been dozens of other awards, too.”
Despite not owning property in Russia, Yerzhan is keen to stay there and further his career, but coming back to Kazakhstan to reunite with his son and former co-star, Dimash, depends on success in 2026.
“I have over a million followers on social media,” says the Andrea Bocelli of the Steppe, proving that he continues to make his mark, and proving that he has the potential to make it beyond Kazakhstan and Russia.
Yet Yerzhan still doesn’t have an apartment, a car, or a large bank balance, but he has the most important thing – the love of people from all over the world for his work. Instead of material wealth, he prefers to invest everything he has in his spiritual heritage through his songs.
