Kurmangaliev Eric Salimovich - 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 was a pediatrician in one of the local hospitals.
Erik Kurmangaliyev from early childhood began to get involved in music, and his voice was heard that he has certain abilities. As the singer himself later recalled, as a child, he loved to sing Lyudmila Zykina’s songs, trying to repeat her voice. At the age of twelve, the child began to gravitate to classical music.
The first stage performances were still in the school drama circle. There Eric played a variety of roles and slowly got used to the scene. At the age of seventeen, he graduates from high 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 Kurmangaliev easily entered the conservatory and there he began to take his first steps as an opera singer.
Studying at the conservatory was never finished. The singer decides that in order to fully realize his talent it is necessary to go to Moscow. The parents of the young talent were opposed to leaving the school, but 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 once more and now tries to enter the glorious Gnesinka. This time, Kurmangaliyev was lucky, and he became a student at the Music and Pedagogical Institute. True, he failed to study for a long time. Due to unsuccessful exams, the holder of a unique voice was expelled. After the exception, the young man was drafted into the army. Having repaid a debt to his homeland, an already adult Kurmangaliyev decides to recover in Gnesinka and continue his studies. From that moment, as the singer himself believed, his professional career began.
First Steps to Glory
In 1980, when Eric Kurmangaliyev was in his second year at Gnesinka, he first performed on the big stage. The venue was the Leningrad Shostakovich Philharmonic. Luck will smile at the singer again this year - the legendary Alfred Schnittke will hear his voice and will be amazed at how talented he is. Since that year, Kurmangaliyev and the great musical figure Schnittke began to work together.
In 1982, the Kazakh performer will be the first to sing the part of the countertenor in the Second Symphony. In 1983, he will do the same in the cantata "The Story of Dr. Johann Faust." A year later, once again, Eric Kurmangaliev will sing the part of the countertenor in the Fourth Symphony.
In 1985, studies at the university ended, and the young man received a diploma of graduation. Many years later, the singer recalled that it was a "golden time".
Opera singer career
In fact, the singer’s career began long before the end of the institute, but the end of 1985 is considered the official date.
After Kurmangaliyev 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 largest and most famous world stages, made millions of classical music connoisseurs fall in love with his voice.
Eric Salimovich was so devoted to his beloved work that he often neglected poor health. Unfortunately, an inattentive attitude to your health will remind you of yourself after many years.
Due to the unique timbre of the voice, the Kazakh opera singer was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 1993.
The work of the great singer
Kurmangaliev performed with such great conductors as Rozhdestvensky, Mansurov, Kitaenko and many others.
In Russia, the opera singer received public recognition after the role of Song Liling in the play "M. Butterfly" played in 1992. 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 awesome, considering that this 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 - the party of Tancred.
There will be an incredible amount of performances on the most famous world stages. The most memorable will be the performance in Paris, where Kurmangaliyev will fly at the personal invitation of Cardin.
The most popular works in the singer’s repertoire are parts from the opera of Handel, Rossini and Purcell. Eric Salimovich performed works by Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Bach and many other great musical figures.
Another striking event in the singer’s life took place in 2002 - a performance in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
In 2005, he played one of the roles in the film "Vocal Parallels".
Illness and death
Eric Kurmangaliyev passed away very early. The cause of death was a serious illness that haunted him for many years. As mentioned above, Kurmangaliyev always put music in the first place, and often forgot about his health. This led to the fact that the singer had problems with the liver, since due to frequent performances he was not able to eat fully.
For a long time, Eric Kurmangaliyev suffered from this disease. The cause of the death of the great singer is precisely in it. He did not advertise his poor health. Unfortunately, it was not possible to defeat 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 Eric Kurmangaliyev rests in one of the capital's cemeteries.
Memory of Eric Kurmangaliev
Eric 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 that a simple person can reach any heights. Although there are not many things that remind of the legendary singer, his voice will live for many years in the hearts of true fans of classical music.