Serkebaev, Ermek Bekmukhamedovich

Born July 4, 1926, in Petropavlovsk. Soviet Kazakh lyric baritone. People’s Artist of the USSR (1959). Member of the CPSU since 1958. Serkebaev studied violin at the Alma-Ata Music School beginning in 1941. In 1951 he graduated from the Alma-Ata Conservatory, where he studied singing with A. M. Kurganov. Since 1947 he has been a soloist at the Abai Theater of Opera and Ballet.

Serkebaev made his debut in the title role of Zhubanov and Khamedi’s Abai. His roles have included Kozhagul in Tule-baev’s Birzhan and Sara and the title role in Tulebaev’s Amangel’dy, Kapan and Artem in Brusilovskii’s Er-Targyn and Dudarai, respectively, the title roles in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Mazepa, Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, Petruchio in Shebalin’s The Taming of the Shrew, and Oleg Koshevoi and Vladimir Ul’ianov in Meitus’ The Young Guard and The Ul’ia-nov Brothers, respectively.

Serkebaev also performs in variety shows and chamber concerts. He has toured in Pakistan, France, India, China, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland. He was a deputy to the seventh convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and to the eighth convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR. He was awarded the K. Baiseitova State Prize of the Kazakh SSR (1972).