Since ancient times the Kazan city has been looking at the East from one side and to the West from another. The freak of these two origins, echoing in everything from music sounds to professional culture, was the principle of the music development in the region.

That is why the music of the Kazan city implies khan’s entertainment, gazelle singing accompanied by nai, tanbur and daf at the Mukhammed-Emin-khan court, and famous ozyn kyui (i.e. long drawn-out songs) based on Tukai verses. There are also compositions for church choir, where Fyodor Shalyapin used to sing as a small boy. It was there, in the city of Rudolf Nuriyev’s ancestors, where the world-famous dancer conducted a symphony orchestra.

Later on music history of the city was enriched with the first operas of the XIX century. Recitals of Artur Rubinshtein, Skryabin, Shalyapin and Rakhmaninov were great cultural events for the Kazan audience. The first musical college, which was opened in the republic and developed European traditions, was the basis of professional music. First Tatar ensembles, following the example of Europe, tried to combine different traditions in local educational institutions. In the 1920-30th it was called the oriental Musical College or the Oriental Conservatoire. At present there is a conservatoire of European standard, which was founded in the last year of World War II.

The Tatar nation represented a number of outstanding composers, such as Farid Yarullin, Salikh Saidashev, Nazib Zhiganov, Mansur Muzafarov, Dzhaudat Faizi and Zaghid Khabibullin. Marches and songs by S. Saidashev, N. Zhiganov’s compositions, ballet “Shurale” (“Wood-Goblin”) by F. Yarullin and works by M. Muzafarov evidenced the high standard of Tatar musical art. Tatar composers’ music is performed not only by Tatarstan musicians, but also by the people of other nationalities.

The 1930th marked a new stage in the music history of the Kazan city and the region in whole. The Union of Composers, Opera and Ballet House, Philharmonic Society, and Song-and-Dance Ensemble, appeared at that time and became symbols of new culture. Even at the beginning of the XX century Tatar musicians, who hadn’t learned notation before, created musical dramas, operas, symphonies and compositions for choir. Many of them, the earliest ones, became classics very soon. So their authors’ names, such as S. Saidashev, F. Yarullin, and N. Zhiganov, A. Klyucharyov, D. Faizi, and then R. Yakhin, have been included to the golden list of Tatar professional music.

Since 1945 the Kazan conservatoire has been the biggest center of professional music not only in the city, but also in the whole Volga region. It was a cradle of creativity for composers, who came from many republics of Russian Federation. The establishment of the State Symphonic Orchestra in 1967 was one of the most important steps in the development of musical professional traditions. It was a new page both in the performing and composers’ creative art of the republic. In the 1980th the Union of Composers was enriched with bright new names. One should mention R. Akhiyarova, L. Batyr-Bulgari, R. Kalimullin, M. Shamsutdinova and Sh. Timerbulatov. All of them are united by creative search of musical language, extraordinary approach to folklore, brave synthesis of various genres. The Union of Composers has close connections with contemporary composer Sofia Gubaidulina. The concert of her music took place within the festival “Europe-Asia”. In October 2001 the International Festival of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Music was held in Kazan on the eve of her 70th jubilee.

Nowadays musical life of the Tatarstan capital is rich and intensive as never before. The worldly recognized International Festival of Opera Singing, named after F. Shalyapin, Nuriyev’s Festival of Ballet Dancing, Festival of piano music “Pianoforum”, “Tatar song” Contest and Festival of Contemporary Music “Europe-Asia” are integral parts of modern musical culture of the region. Dozens of concerts, workshops, and performances of contemporary composers’ music from more than 20 countries all over the world have taken place in Kazan and every big city of the republic for this period of time.

Theatre Performance Festival, named after Karim Tinchurin, as well as festivals of organ, chamber, jazz and classical music are held annually within the republic.

Various performing collectives, such as the “La Primavera” Kazan State Chamber orchestra, State Orchestra of Folk Instruments, State String Quartet of Tatarstan,  and Tatar Music Orchestra, represent the Kazan city all over the world.