Academic Folklore and Ethnographic Orchestra named after N.Tlendiev "Otyrar sazy"

«Otyrar sazy» – Kazakh academic folklore and ethnographic orchestra of national instruments named after N. Tlendiev. At first, the «Otyrar Sazy» was created as an ensemble of Bolat Sarybaev. In 1982, the well-known conductor Nurgisa Tlendiyev came to the leadership of the ensemble, who elevated the ensemble to the category of an orchestra. In 1999, the orchestra was named after Nurgisa Tlendiyev.

The scientific research of the musicologist, Professor Bolat Sarybayev is of invaluable importance, because the voices of past generations are hidden in the sounds of antiquity — the living pages of the history of the musical culture of the Kazakh people. In addition to dombra and kobyz, the Otrar Sazy orchestra features ancient instruments — zhetygen, sherter, shankobyz, meskobyz, syrnai and sazsyrnai, sybyzgy, as well as percussion instruments — asatayak, dauylpaz, tuyaktas, konyrau, kayrak.

Such a variety of instruments makes it possible for the orchestra to widely display and show the listener the richest original samples of national folklore. This was the goal set for the orchestra by its first artistic director and chief conductor, People’s Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prize, People’s Hero, prominent public figure, composer Nurgisa Tlendiyev, who managed to prove that ancient folk instruments are able to embody not only works of small forms, but also large dramatic designs. Today, demonstrating the continuity of generations, the orchestra is led by daughter of N. Tlendiyev – Dinzukhra Tlendiyeva. The orchestra actively performs concerts in the cities of Kazakhstan, in the countries of the near and far abroad – Italy, France, Morocco, Vietnam, North Korea, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and many others. In 1996, the orchestra «Otyrar Sazy» won the prize of the International Zhambyl Foundation. The collective not only keeps the best samples of Kazakh musical folklore, but also constantly improves them with new treatments made taking into account modern expressive means and timbre capabilities of the orchestra.