concert review: Symphony Orchestra of the (ready?) Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory (whew!)

Of countries whose visiting orchestras I was expecting to hear in the near future, Kazakhstan did not rank particularly high on the list. Yet there I was in Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall on Tuesday, watching them: a large group (as student orchestras often are) of young people, many of them women, proving that there is more than enough talent in the Kazakh conservatory to make a professional-quality symphony orchestra.

What does an orchestra from Kazakhstan play? ( Find out behind the cut )

In case any east-coast readers are intrigued or want to cheer the Kazakhs on for their first American visit, the orchestra is taking its tour there this week, with the same program as far as I can tell. They'll be at Kennedy Center in D.C. on Friday evening, up at MIT on Sunday afternoon, and at Carnegie Hall (practice will get you there!) on Monday evening.