MERGEN

akmaral MERGEN

is Almaty-based composer, sound producer, singer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actress. She initiated her musical journey at the age of 6 with professional studies in violin. Akmaral holds degrees from The Kazakh State Conservatory, The Musician’s Institute in Hollywood CA, US, and has also pursued studies in Information Technology at a Kazakh State Technical University (Satpayev University).

Akmaral started her composer’s career as a singer-songwriter named Mergen, simultaneously working in television and studios in Almaty, gaining experience in sound and music production. She released her debut solo album “13“ in 2009.

In 2010, she began work on her second solo album 'AYAN,' where she ventured into sound engineering for the first time. This project, developed during her studies at MI Hollywood, received recognition as an 'outstanding project' upon completion of her studies and was released in 2011.

During this period, she also embarked on her journey in the film industry as an ADSR/Foley sound engineer at Kazakhfilm studios. Later, she took the helm of the record studios at Bilim Media Group to oversee the production of diverse content, including cartoons, TV shows, and educational- themed documentary films.  

In 2013, Akmaral collaborated with various artists to release the compilation album Qazaq Lounge, which introduced a new interpretation of Kazakh folk songs. The album became widely popular and initiated a strong trend in the country toward a fresh perspective on Kazakh identity. 

In 2014, Akmaral participated in various educational projects that inspired younger artists to create unique content.

In February 2015, she released an instrumental EP titled "Mise en Scene" under her real name. The EP featured a cinematic classical crossover style, with Akmaral playing most of the violin parts herself.

In 2016, Akmaral worked on her next upcoming album titled "TYH" (Night), which was dedicated to her grandfather. The album was released in December 2017.

Her film composer career starts in 2018 - 2019 in the film ‘Horse Thieves: Roads of Time, directed by Yerlan Nurmukhambetov and Lisa Takeba (Busan IFF –Opening Film 2019, Tokyo IFF 2019, etc). This period also marked her participation in the film composer residency "Sound Vision" at the Dovzhenko Center in Kyiv, Ukraine, organized by the British Council, under the mentorship of Nainita Desai.

In 2019, she contributed to her next films "Dissolve" (directed by Kim Ki Duk, 2019) and "Hostages of War" (directed by Yeldar Kaparov, Sano Shinju, Aliya Uvalzhanova, 2019 - 2023).

In 2020, Akmaral participated in Berlinale talents as a film composer. In the same year, she made her acting debut as the leading actress in the short film History of Civilisation (2020) directed by Zhannat Alshanova (film got a Silver Leopard prize at Locarno Film Festival 2020).
Additionally, she received the award for Best Actress at the Baiqonur IFF in 2021 for her role in the short movie 'Qus' (the Bird) by Begaly Shibekeyev.

In 2022, Akmaral wrote music for "QAS," directed by Aisultan Seit (recipient of the New Talent Award for Best Director at the Shanghai IFF 2023), where she played all the instruments herself. The film won the nomination for the Critics' Choice Award for Best Music in Kazakhstan. Additionally, she received a nomination at the Asian Film Academy Awards 2024 for Best Original Score in Hong Kong.

Also, last year, she conducted a mentoring residency for young composers of Central Asia - BATYRLAB, providing by Batyr Foundation.

Akmaral keeps releasing solo albums as a singer and is currently working on a new one set to drop later this year. She also continues to produce her projects independently, serving as the sound engineer for her own projects.

Book your spot for the composer masterclasses by Akmaral Mergen
10-11 April, Moc Hub, Tashkent, Uzbekistan 2024