Cholponbek Bazarbaev
- the first and only People's Artist of the USSR in classical dance in the Central Asian republics, he made an invaluable contribution to the development of national classical art and the cultural heritage of the peoples of the Kyrgyz Republic.He was born on February 4, 1949, in the village of Kum-Dyobyo in the Kochkor district of the Naryn region of the Kyrgyz SSR in a family of civil servants.
In September 1959, he entered the Frunze Musical and Choreographic School named after Muratala Kureneev, and from September 1966, he began his creative activity in the ballet troupe of the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theater, participating in the theater's tour performances in Moscow and Leningrad that same year.
After completing the full course at the Frunze Musical and Choreographic School named after Muratala Kureneev, Cholponbek BAZARBAEV underwent an internship in the improvement class at the Moscow Academic Choreographic School from 1967 to 1968, and from July 1968, he was a soloist of the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theater.
From 1969 to 1975, he served as the secretary of the Komsomol committee, and from 1975 to 1985, he was the secretary of the party committee of the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theater.
From 1991 to 1993 and from 2001 to 2002, he was the general director and artistic director of the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theater.
From 1993 to 1996, he served as the Minister of Culture of Kyrgyzstan, and from 1996 to 1998, he was the First Deputy Minister of Education, Science, and Culture of Kyrgyzstan - Director of the Department of Culture.
Since 1987, he has been the chairman of the Union of Theater Workers of Kyrgyzstan (until 1995) and the first deputy chairman of the board of directors of the International Confederation of Theater Unions.
He is a laureate of international choreographic art competitions. He toured cities across the Soviet Union and abroad.
Cholponbek BAZARBAEV is undoubtedly one of the leading names among the stars of the Kyrgyz National Order of Lenin Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after Abdylas Maldybaev. His talent is captivating and unique, and his mastery is recognized by those who remember the outstanding dancer at the dawn of his artistic ascent, the middle generation of viewers who witnessed the peak of his fame, and the youth who know Bazarbaev only through film materials.
Cholponbek BAZARBAEV is an outstanding dancer and actor of the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theater, who was the premier of the national ballet troupe for more than two decades. Over the years of his creative activity, Cholponbek BAZARBAEV embodied more than thirty leading roles in performances of world ballet classics.
A storm of applause and enthusiastic exclamations greeted his masterful performances both in solo variations and in duets with his constant partner - the People's Artist of the USSR Aysulu Tokombaev.
A dancer of a heroic-romantic nature, Cholponbek BAZARBAEV possessed true artistry, perfection in performance technique, dazzling virtuosity, captivating temperament, astonishing weightlessness, and the "flight" of his jumps; in fact, Bazarbaev simply soared above the stage... More than one generation of young artists has been and will be educated on the beautiful images created by the great maestro.
Honored Artist of the Kyrgyz SSR (1974).
People's Artist of the Kyrgyz SSR (1979).
People's Artist of the USSR (1982).
He died in a car accident on September 2, 2002. The tragedy occurred just a few dozen meters from the building of the American Embassy in Bishkek. He is buried at the Ala-Archa Cemetery.
THEATRICAL WORKS
“Giselle” by A. Adam - Albert
“Swan Lake” by P. Tchaikovsky - Siegfried
“Petrushka” by I. Stravinsky - Petrushka
“La Bayadère” by L. Minkus - Solor, Golden Idol
“Spartacus” by A. Khachaturian - Spartacus
“The Corsair” by A. Adam - Conrad
“Prometheus” by E. Aristakesyan - Zeus
“Mother's Field” by K. Moldobasanov - Kasym
“Kuyruchuk” by K. Moldobasanov and G. Okunev - Kuyruchuk
“Cholpon” by M. Raukhverger - Nurdin
“Carmen Suite” by J. Bizet orchestrated by R. Shchedrin - Jose
“Tomiris” by U. Musaev - Kir
“Esmeralda” by C. Puni - Acteon
“The Legend of Love” by A. Melikov - Ferhad
“Macbeth” by K. Molchanov - Macbeth
AWARDS AND HONORS
Lenin Komsomol Prize of the Kyrgyz SSR in the field of literature and art (1976) - for performing leading roles in the ballets “Mother's Field” by K. Moldobasanov, “Spartacus” by A. Khachaturian, “Giselle” by A. Adam
Order of “Danaker” (2002)
International Prize named after Chinghiz Aitmatov (1992)
International Music Prize “Min-On” (Japan, 1995)
Honorary Citizen of Greenville and Baton Rouge (USA)