Saira Kiizbaeva (1917—1988)
Soviet Kyrgyz opera singer (lyrical-dramatic soprano), educator.
People's Artist of the USSR (1958).
Born on October 24 (November 7) 1917 in the village of Tyokyoldosh (now within the city limits of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan).
In 1931, she entered the Frunze Women's Pedagogical College.
In 1936, she joined the theater studio, and from that year on, she was a soloist at the Kyrgyz Musical and Dramatic Theater (since 1942, the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theater).
Historical documents indicate that the People's Artists of the republic A. Usenbaev, M. Bayetov, A. Botaliev, A. Kuttubaeva, S. Kiizbaeva, M. Omurkanova, M. Makhamutova, and composers V. Vlasov and V. Fere performed on the front lines.
In 1959, she made her directorial debut in Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly".
From 1963 to 1964, she served as the theater director. She performed until 1972, playing leading roles in national operas.
She was the first Kyrgyz singer to perform roles in the classical repertoire, singing them in Kyrgyz and Russian.
From 1947 to 1949, she improved her skills at the Moscow Conservatory (class of M. M. Mirzoeva). In 1952, she interned at the Bolshoi Theatre.
In 1971, she graduated from the Tashkent Conservatory (externally).
She performed as a chamber singer in concerts. Her chamber repertoire included arias, several hundred romances and songs, the interpretation of which captivated audiences from various countries.
She toured abroad.
Since 1956, she taught singing at the Kureneev Music College and at the studio of the Opera and Ballet Theater. From 1967, she was the head of the solo singing department at the Kyrgyz State Institute of Arts named after B. Beishenaliev (associate professor, 1973; professor, 1978). From 1983, she was the head of the opera training department.
Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Kyrgyz SSR of the 2nd to 6th convocations.
She died on October 11, 1988. She is buried at the Ala-Archa Cemetery in Bishkek.
Roles
1937 — "Golden Girl" by V. Vlasov and V. Fere — Adjar
1938 — "Golden Girl" by V. Vlasov and V. Fere — Chinar
1939 — "Aichurek" by V. Vlasov, A. Maldybaeva, V. Fere — Aichurek
1939 — "Arshin Mal Alan" by U. Gadjibekov — Gulchokhra
1941 — "Patriots" by V. Vlasov, A. Maldybaeva, V. Fere — Mother
1942 — "Kokul" by M. Raukhverger — Kulayim
1942 — "Eugene Onegin" by P. Tchaikovsky — Tatyana
1943, 1953 — "Madama Butterfly" by G. Puccini — Butterfly
1946, 1966 — "Manas" by V. Vlasov, A. Maldybaeva, V. Fere — Kanykey
1950 — "The Queen of Spades" by P. Tchaikovsky — Lisa
1950 — "Zaporozhets Beyond the Danube" by N. Gulak-Artemovsky — Odarka
1951 — "On the Shores of Issyk-Kul" by V. Vlasov, A. Maldybaeva, V. Fere — Djamila
1951 — "Rusalka" by A. S. Dargomyzhsky — Natasha
1952 — "Aidar and Aisha" by A. Amanbaev and S. Germanov — Aisha
1952 — "Faust" by Ch. Gounod — Margarita
1953 — "Young Hearts" by M. Abdrayev — Ainaidjan
1954 — "Prince Igor" by A. Borodin — Yaroslava
1955 — "Demon" by A. Rubinstein — Tamara
1956 — "Toktogul" by A. Maldybaeva and M. Abdrayev — Valentina
1956 — "Pagliacci" by R. Leoncavallo — Nedda
1957 — "Cherevichki" by P. Tchaikovsky — Oksana
1957 — "The Oprichnik" by P. Tchaikovsky — Natalia
1957 — "Ak Shumkar" by S. Ryauzov — Gulnar
1958 — "Toktogul" by A. Maldybaeva and M. Abdrayev — Totuya
1959 — "Murad" by L. Knipper — Saira
1960 — "Aida" by G. Verdi — Aida
1962 — "Tosca" by G. Puccini — Tosca
Awards and Titles
Honored Artist of the Kyrgyz SSR (1939)
People's Artist of the Kyrgyz SSR (1942)
People's Artist of the USSR (1958)
Order of Lenin (February 28, 1946)
Order of the October Revolution (November 4, 1977)
Order of the Red Banner of Labor (June 7, 1939)
Order of Friendship of Peoples (January 8, 1988)
Two Orders of the Badge of Honor (January 31, 1951; 1963)
Medal "Veteran of Labor" (1979)
Badge "Excellence in Public Education of the Kyrgyz SSR" (1977)
Honorary Certificates from the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Kyrgyz SSR
Laureate of the All-Union Festival of Dramatic and Musical Theaters, Ensembles, and Choirs (1957).
Memory
One of the streets in the residential area of Bishkek is named after S. Kiizbaeva.