Opera singer Eric Kurmangaliev: biography, creativity, cause of death

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Kurmangaliev Erik Salimovich is an opera singer and actor. Born in 1959 on January 2 in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. He was the very first countertenor in the USSR.

Childhood and youth

The future singer was born in the city of Kulsary, in the Guryev region. The young man's family was quite successful, because his father worked as a surgeon and his mother as a pediatrician in one of the local hospitals.

Erik Kurmangaliev from early childhood began to get involved in music, and it was clear from his voice that he had certain abilities. As the singer himself later recalled, as a child he loved to sing the songs of Lyudmila Zykina, trying to repeat her voice. At the age of twelve, the child began to gravitate toward classical music.

The first performances on stage were in the school drama club. There, Eric played a variety of roles and slowly got used to the stage. At the age of seventeen, he finishes school and decides to become a student at the conservatory. The educational institution was located in the capital of Kazakhstan, so the young man was forced to leave his home. Given the non-standard timbre of the voice, Eric Kurmangalieveasily entered the conservatory and there he began to take his first steps as an opera singer.

Study at the conservatory was never completed. The singer decides that in order to fully realize his talent, he must go to Moscow. The parents of the young talent were against him leaving the educational institution, but they could not do anything. Eric still went to the capital of the USSR.

Initially, the young singer wanted to enter the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, but this did not work out. He decides to try his luck again and is now trying to enter the glorious Gnesinka. This time, Kurmangaliev is lucky, and he becomes a student at the Music and Pedagogical Institute. True, he did not manage to study for a long time. Due to failed exams, the owner of a unique voice was expelled. After the expulsion, the young man was drafted into the army. Having repaid his debt to the Motherland, the already adult Kurmangaliev decides to recover in Gnesinka and continue his studies. From that moment, as the singer himself believed, his professional career began.

First steps towards glory

In 1980, when Erik Kurmangaliev was a second-year student of the Gnesinka, he performed on the big stage for the first time. The place of performance was the Leningrad Philharmonic of Shostakovich. Luck will smile on the singer once again this year - the legendary Alfred Schnittke will hear his voice and be amazed at how talented he is. It was from that year that Kurmangaliev and the great musical figure Schnittke began to work together.

In 1982, a Kazakh performer will be the first tosing the countertenor part in the Second Symphony. In 1983 he will do the same in the cantata "History of Dr. Johann Faust". A year later, once again, Erik Kurmangaliev will sing the countertenor part in the Fourth Symphony.

In 1985, studies at the university ended, and the young man received a diploma of graduation from the institute. Many years later, the singer recalled that it was a "golden time".

Opera singer career

In fact, the singer's career began long before graduation, but the official date is considered to be the end of 1985.

After Kurmangaliev became a real opera singer, he is on tour almost all the time. He was one of the most sought-after opera singers in the Soviet Union, and later in Russia and throughout the post-Soviet space. The singer performed on the world's largest and most famous stages, making millions of classical music lovers fall in love with his voice.

Erik Salimovich was so devoted to his beloved work that he often neglected his poor he alth. Unfortunately, an inattentive attitude to one's he alth will remind of oneself after many years.

Due to the unique timbre of his voice, the Kazakh opera singer was included in the Guinness Book of Records in 1993.

Creativity of the great singer

Kurmangaliev has performed with such great conductors as Rozhdestvensky, Mansurov, Kitayenko and many others.

In Russia, the opera singer received public recognition after playing in 1992year of the role of Song Liling in the play "M. Butterfly". When he began to sing, people did not believe that a man could have such a high voice. In the same year, the singer received an award as the best actor of the year. It was amazing considering it was one of his first roles.

In 1993 he sang the part of Orpheus. This action took place in the Hermitage. In 1996 he performed the part of Prince Orlovsky. In 1999 - Tancred's party.

There will still be an incredible amount of performances ahead on the world's most famous stages. The most memorable performance will be in Paris, where Kurmangaliev will fly at the personal invitation of Cardin.

The most popular works in the singer's repertoire are parts from the opera by Handel, Rossini and Purcell. Erik Salimovich has performed works by Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Bach and many other great musical figures.

Another bright event in the life of the singer happened in 2002 - a performance at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

In 2005 he played one of the roles in the film "Vocal Parallels".

Sickness and death

Erik Kurmangaliev passed away very early. The cause of death is a serious illness that haunted him for many years. As mentioned above, Kurmangaliev always put music in the first place, and often forgot about his he alth. This led to the fact that the singer had problems with the liver, because due to frequent performances, he was unable to fully eat.

Eric Kurmangaliev suffered from this disease for a long time. Cause of deathgreat singer in it. He did not advertise his poor he alth. Unfortunately, it was not possible to overcome the disease, and at the age of forty-eight, the great singer died. A tragic event took place in mid-November 2007.

The funeral took place in 2008. The body of Erik Kurmangaliev rests in one of the capital's cemeteries.

Memory of Erik Kurmangaliev

Erik Kurmangaliev, whose biography was presented to your attention, left behind a large discography and filmography. In 2008, a concert was held in his honor in Riga.

Today his name for young singers is a symbol of the fact that a simple person can reach any heights. There may not be many things left that remind of the legendary singer, but his voice will live in the hearts of true fans of classical music for many years to come.