HasSak ensemble brings Kazakh musical heritage to Smithsonian Museum
Kazakhstan’s ethno-folk ensemble HasSak has performed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., as part of events marking the 35th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the United States, and the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The concert was organized with the support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States and Samruk-Kazyna JSC as part of the Kazakhstan Cultural Heritage Fund project under the Smithsonian Institution.
The event brought together representatives of the U.S. Administration, the diplomatic corps, expert and cultural communities, as well as members of the Kazakh diaspora. The ensemble received a warm welcome from the American audience, with its performances greeted by sustained applause.
The program featured traditional Kazakh compositions and their contemporary interpretations. The musicians showcased the distinctive sounds of traditional instruments, including the dombra, zhetygen, sybyzgy, and kylkobyz, introducing the audience to the rich musical heritage of the Great Steppe.
HasSak’s performance was part of the Heritage in Motion program, implemented by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in partnership with the Kazakhstan-based nonprofit organization Music Unbound.
The initiative brings together cultural practitioners and bearers of intangible cultural heritage from Kazakhstan and the United States. It also includes collaborative activities in Almaty and Tucson ahead of the 2027 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
The concert was part of a broader series of Kazakhstan’s cultural initiatives in the United States aimed at celebrating milestone anniversaries in both countries, promoting Kazakh culture and strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties between Kazakhstan and the United States.
Earlier, it was reported that researchers from Margulan University are carrying out a detailed study of a unique ancient silver headdress discovered in 1959 and preserved at the Pavlodar Regional Local History Museum.