Ustatshakirt music centre

What it is

Ustatshakirt is a centre for traditional music in Bishkek, set up in 2003 with support from the Aga Khan Music Programme. The name is the Kyrgyz form of ustad-shagird, "master and apprentice", the way music and crafts have long been handed down in Central Asia. The centre teaches Kyrgyz instruments and how to build them, runs an ensemble and hosts seminars and concerts. Its Instagram shares rehearsals, performances, an art camp and tours.

Why we picked it

Here traditional Kyrgyz music isn't a museum piece. Masters pass on not just playing but instrument making too: the kyl kiyak bowed fiddle, the temir komuz jaw harp and the sybyzgy flute. For primary school pupils there's the Umtul programme, which teaches the komuz in groups. The tradition survives through person-to-person teaching rather than recordings.

You can see that on Instagram in short clips from rehearsals and concerts. The centre's musicians perform at home, from Bishkek to seminars in Karakol, and abroad, including European festivals. It's an easy way to hear the komuz and kyl kiyak played by people who learned directly from masters.

Where to start

• Watch the concert videos to hear the komuz, kyl kiyak and temir komuz.
• Look for posts on seminars and the art camp to see how teaching works.
• Follow announcements if you want to hear live traditional music in Bishkek.
• Keep an eye out for posts about the instrument makers.

Who it's for

Travellers who want to hear live Kyrgyz folk music during their trip, musicians and ethnomusicologists, and Bishkek parents looking for somewhere their child can learn the komuz. A good pick if you want culture that goes deeper than a souvenir stall.

Quick answers

Where is the centre? In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Do they teach instrument making? Yes, building instruments is a core part of the programme.

Who supports the centre? It was established with the Aga Khan Music Programme.