Saule Sabitovna Iskakova () is a

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

-born

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n actress (voice).

Biography

Saule Iskakova was born in Temirtau,

. She trained for the theater at the Saint Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy from which she graduated in 1993.

Career

Ms. Iskakova is currently a soprano soloist with th
Zazerkalye
State Theater in St-Petersburg and performs with the tango ensembles Anima, Primavera, and Soledad-orquesta. In addition to theater music, Ms. Iskakova gives concerts and recitals of classical music and German lieder. Her role as Despina in

Così fan tutte (''Women are like that, or The School for Lovers''), Köchel catalogue, K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written ...

highlights a special interest in the music of Mozart. The St. Petersburg Gazette praised her performance in the Mozart anniversary concert at the Zazerkalye State Theater and described her voice as "absolutely smooth with crystal clear tone." Her voice is instantly recognizable in Russia as the voice-over for Disney film characters Mulan (''Mulan'' and ''Mulan II''), Belle (''Beauty and the Beast''), Megara and Calliope (''Hercules''), as well as Minnie Mouse. In 2004, Ms. Iskakova became involved with tango and the music of

Ástor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fr ...

. She appeared with Horacio Ferrer, Piazzolla's lyrical collaborator, during his visit to St-Petersburg in 2004. In 2005, Ms. Iskakova and the ensemble Anima were awardedPiazzolla Music Award
, for 2005 the "Premio della critica" (the critics prize) award at Piazzolla Music Awards festival at Casale Monferrato, Italy. She appeared at the 200

in Tampere, Finland, and at the 2008, 2009, and 201
White Nights Tango Festival
in St-Petersburg. In February, 2011, Ms. Iskakova was named an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (Заслуженная артистка Российской Федерации).Honored Artist announcement
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References

External links

Video authorized and provided by Ms. Iskakova: * with Anima * with the orchestra of the Zazerkalie (theatre) * from ''Les Misérables'' * with the orchestra of the Zazerkalie (theatre) * with the Primavera Orquesta {{DEFAULTSORT:Iskakova, Saule Living people People from Temirtau Russian voice actresses Russian stage actresses Honored Artists of the Russian Federation Year of birth missing (living people)