Kurmanbek Dzhandarbekov

He was born on December 25, 1904 (January 7, 1905) in the territory of the present-day Sayram district of the South Kazakhstan region, Kazakhstan. He came from the Sikym clan of the Dulat tribe. In 1925, he graduated from the Institute of Public Education in Tashkent. In 1928-1929, he studied in the acting department of VGIK (All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography). Since 1925, he worked as an actor and director at the Drama Theater in Kyzylorda. From 1934, he worked as an actor and director, artistic director (1944-1948), director (1953-1955), and chief director (1949-1952; 1956-1959) at the Kazakh State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after Abai. He also acted in films. From 1949, he taught in the opera class at the Almaty Conservatory, and from 1961, he became the head of the opera department (and professor since 1970). He passed away on July 9, 1973, and was buried in Almaty at the Kensai Cemetery.