Kanabek Baiseitov

Biography

He was taught literacy by a mullah and, at the age of 15, became a teacher at a rural school for adult literacy. He worked as secretary of the revolutionary committee, head of the volost committee, and chief of the district police department. In 1925, he entered the Kazakh Pedagogical Technical School. Even during his student years, he was recognized as a talented amateur actor: in 1926, he played the lead role in the play "Arkalyk Batyr" by Zh. Shanina. In 1927, he organized the Workers' Youth Theater, where he became the chief director. From 1929, he was an actor at the Kazakh Drama Theater (now the M. O. Auezov Kazakh State Academic Drama Theater), which, in 1933, relocated from Kyzylorda to Almaty due to the transfer of the capital. In 1934, he participated in the establishment of the Kazakh Musical Theater (now the Abai Kazakh State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet) in Almaty with the production of the musical comedy "Ayman-Sholpan" by M. Auezov and I. Kotsyk, where Kanabek played the role of Arystan. He also performed on the opera stage, creating unique images of Khan Arystan, Targyn, the brave warrior Tolgen from the Jagalbaili clan, and others. In the following years, he played leading roles in the operas of Evgeny Brusilovsky, including Kyz-Zhibek (1934), Zhalbyr (1935), Er Targyn (1936), but his peak performance was the role of Abai in the opera of the same name by Akhmet Zhubanov and Latif Khamidi (1944). In this opera, Bayseitov, demonstrating refined theatrical technique, conveyed the image of the great Abai through deep empathy for the character and drama. For his performance in the lead role, Bayseitov was awarded the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR.