Kamal Ilyas

Honored Art Worker of the Republic of Tatarstan (2025)

Laureate of the All-Russian «PARTITURA» Composers' Competition (2024)

Laureate of the Musa Jalil Republican Prize (2021)

Chairman of the Union of Composers of the Republic of Tatarstan (since 2024)

Chief Conductor of the Karim Tinchurin Tatar State Theatre of Drama and Comedy (since 2019)

Conductor of the «La Primavera» Kazan Chamber Orchestra (since 2021)

Ilyas Kamal (Ilyas Fayzrakhmanovich Kamalov) was born in 1992 in Saint Petersburg, into a Tatar family. His father is the artist and designer Fayzrakhman Kamalov; his mother is the teacher and journalist Gulzada Kamalova. His love of music came from the family from early childhood: his mother loved performing Tatar folk songs and sang in an amateur choir at the Tatar community of Saint Petersburg, while his father played the Bashkir kurai as an amateur.

In 2007, his love for the Tatar people and their music brought Ilyas to the capital of Tatarstan — the I.V. Aukhadeev Kazan Music College. There he studied in the class of the renowned cellist and People's Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan, Larisa Maslova. Already during his studies at the college, Ilyas Kamal began composing music and arranging pieces for various ensembles, and took lessons from Boris Trubin, professor at the Kazan State Conservatory and a well-known composer.

In 2011, after graduating from the Kazan Music College, he continued his studies at the Kazan State Conservatory, where he studied simultaneously in two faculties — the orchestral faculty and the faculty of music theory and composition. His mentors included People's Artist of Tatarstan and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, professor Albert Asadullin; Honored Art Worker of the Russian Federation Boris Trubin; and Honored Art Worker of the Republic of Tatarstan Vitaly Kharisov.

From 2014 to 2023, Ilyas Kamal worked as a soloist of the Gabdulla Tukay Tatar State Philharmonic, performing concerts with its ensemble in many cities of Tatarstan and the Russian Federation.

Since 2017, Ilyas Kamal has been a member of the Union of Composers of the Russian Federation and the Union of Composers of the Republic of Tatarstan.

In 2019, he completed his assistantship-internship at the Kazan State Conservatory (under the creative guidance of Vitaly Kharisov, Honored Art Worker of the Republic of Tatarstan), as well as a class in opera and symphonic conducting under Aidar Yarullin.

In October 2019, Ilyas Kamal was appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the orchestra of the Karim Tinchurin Tatar State Theatre of Drama and Comedy.

Since 2021, he has led the string quartet class and the class of special instruments (kyl-kubyz and other traditional string instruments) at the Kazan State Conservatory, becoming a senior lecturer in 2025.

From 2020 to 2023, he performed with the State String Quartet of the Republic of Tatarstan.

In 2024, he graduated from the N. Zhiganov Kazan State Conservatory in opera and symphonic conducting under professor Sergei Ferulev.

Since December 2024, he has served as Chairman of the Union of Composers of the Republic of Tatarstan.

WORKS

The greater part of Ilyas Kamal's output consists of works for chamber and orchestral forces, opera, and theatre music. His musical style draws on the traditions of the Tatar and other Turkic peoples together with contemporary compositional technique. His works are performed with success in many cities across Russia, in the republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Tuva, and Adygea, as well as in China, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Finland, the Netherlands, Peru, and Chile.

Principal works:

Opera «Minem Taktash» («My Taktash»), libretto by Ruzal Mukhametshin (2019)

Opera «Ural Bөrketlәre» («Eagles of the Urals»), libretto by Salavat Kamal (in Bashkir) (2024)

Symphonic poem «Karurman asha» («Through the Deep Forest»), dedicated to Ilham Shakirov (2019)

«Turkic Suite» for symphony orchestra (2025)

«Kipchak Overture» for chamber orchestra (2016), revised for symphony orchestra (2024)

«Poem-Elegy» for string orchestra (2020)

Concerto for cello and symphony orchestra (2016)

Poem for alto saxophone and symphony orchestra (2011)

«Festive Rondo» for symphony orchestra (2012)

«The Secret of the Sak-Sok Wings», a musical for children (2016)

Sonata for piano (2013)

Sonata for viola and piano (2012)

«Idel-Ural» suite for trumpet and piano (inspired by Tatar and Bashkir folklore) (2012)

5 Sketches for cello and piano (2011)

«Sikhri Sәfәr» («Magic Journey») for 8 cellos (2012)

String Quartet («3 Pieces for String Quartet») (2010–2011)

Works for various ensembles, songs, romances, and theatre music

Beyond his own compositions, Ilyas Kamal is also known as an arranger. He has written orchestrations and arrangements for renowned ensembles across Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Kazakhstan, including: the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan, the «La Primavera» Kazan Chamber Orchestra, the State Academic Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the National Folk Instruments Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the «New Music» Orchestra, the orchestra of the K. Tinchurin Tatar State Theatre of Drama and Comedy, the orchestra of the G. Kamal Tatar State Academic Theatre, the «Sforzando» Orchestra, the State Ensemble of Folk Music of Tatarstan, the rock bands «Alqanat» and «GAUGA», the folk group «TURAN» (Kazakhstan), and other ensembles — hundreds of arrangements in all.

Work as staging conductor:

2019 — opera «Minem Taktash». Libretto by Ruzal Mukhametshin, orchestra of the «Sforzando» foundation

2019 — musical «Bashmagym-jazz». Music by Jaudat Faizi, arranged by Ilyas Kamal. K. Tinchurin Tatar State Theatre of Drama and Comedy

2020 — musical director and conductor of the «Beznen Җyr» («Our Song») creative laboratory

2020 — comedy «Politsioner» («The Policeman»), by playwright Ilgiz Zainiev, directed by Tufan Imamutdinov. K. Tinchurin Tatar State Theatre of Drama and Comedy

2020 — operetta «Mademoiselle Nitouche». Together with the orchestra of the K. Tinchurin Tatar State Theatre of Drama and Comedy, on the stage of the Zelenodolsk Musical Theatre

2021 — musical comedy «Khuja Nasretdin». Music by Jaudat Faizi and Ilyas Kamal. Opera studio of the Kazan State Conservatory, «Tatarica» orchestra, on the stage of the N. Sats Musical Theatre, Moscow

2022 — opera «Kara Pulat» («Black Chamber»). Music by Elmir Nizamov, libretto by Renat Kharis, at the K. Tinchurin Theatre

2022 — opera «Kara Pulat». Music by Elmir Nizamov, libretto by Renat Kharis, in the city of Bolgar, beside the ancient Black Chamber building

2023 — production «Idegәi». Music by Farhad Bakhtiyari. K. Tinchurin Theatre

Solo concerts and author's evenings:

2014 — New Year concert at the Tatar State Philharmonic. With the «Tatarica» orchestra of the Kazan Conservatory, conducted by Rinat Khalitov

2016 — solo recital (cello), Kazan State Conservatory

2020 — author's evening on the shore of Lake Kaban. «La Primavera» Kazan Chamber Orchestra, soloists of the K. Tinchurin Theatre orchestra, conducted by Rustem Abyazov

2022 — author's evening, S. Saydashev State Grand Concert Hall. «Tatarica» orchestra, conducted by Rinat Khalitov

2023 — author's evening, S. Saydashev State Grand Concert Hall. Combined orchestra of the «La Primavera» Kazan Chamber Orchestra and the K. Tinchurin Theatre, conducted by Rustem Abyazov and Ilyas Kamal

2023 — solo concert, city of Ulyanovsk. With the State Russian Folk Instruments Orchestra of Ulyanovsk Oblast, conducted by Artem Belov

2024 — «Fanfares of Overtures» symphonic concert programme, S. Saydashev State Grand Concert Hall. Combined orchestra of the «La Primavera» Kazan Chamber Orchestra and the K. Tinchurin Theatre, conducted by Ilyas Kamal

2025 — «Everyone Dances» chamber orchestra concert programme, S. Saydashev State Grand Concert Hall. «La Primavera» Kazan Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Ilyas Kamal

2026 — «MIRAS» Festival of Tatar Symphonic Music, S. Saydashev State Grand Concert Hall. State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan, conducted by Ilyas Kamal

2026 — solo concert, Karim Tinchurin Theatre. Orchestra of the Karim Tinchurin Tatar State Theatre of Drama and Comedy, conducted by Olzhas Meirmanov (Kazakhstan)