Founded in Almaty in 2013 by ethnomusicologist, performer, and Merited Cultural Figure of Kazakhstan Dr. Yerzhan Zhamenkeyev, HASSAK is one of Kazakhstan’s leading contemporary interpreters of traditional instrumental music. The ensemble is internationally recognized for bringing the sound of the Great Steppe to global audiences through historically informed performance, rare traditional instruments, and original artistic arrangements.

The five-member ensemble consists entirely of professional conservatory-trained musicians, each a multi-instrumentalist. While their principal instruments include the dombra, qyl qobyz, zhetygen, and sybyzgy, together they perform on more than 30 traditional Kazakh instruments, including reconstructed and rarely heard instruments that have largely disappeared from contemporary musical practice.

HASSAK’s repertoire bridges ancient nomadic musical traditions with contemporary concert performance. Alongside canonical kuy and folk melodies, the ensemble revives forgotten instrumental traditions, explores the sound world of early Turkic cultures, and presents new compositions inspired by Kazakhstan’s musical heritage. Their performances combine exceptional virtuosity with deep cultural knowledge, making them both performers and cultural interpreters.

In 2019, HASSAK won the Grand Prix at the World Folk Vision international competition, competing against performers from around the world. The ensemble has released three studio albums and is currently recording its fourth.

HASSAK has performed extensively throughout Kazakhstan as well as in Germany, Austria, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, China, South Korea, and Russia, introducing international audiences to the richness and diversity of Kazakhstan’s musical traditions. Their recent collaborations include large-scale productions with the Astana Opera Ballet, further demonstrating the ensemble’s ability to connect traditional music with contemporary artistic practice.