Abstract
The purpose of the study is to explore the principal dimensions of the traditional vocal art of Kazakhstan and the processes involved in its modernisation through transformation in concert performance contexts. The key components of the national musical heritage of Kazakhstan are systematically categorised. Attention is devoted to the analysis of the content and the functional importance of the principal elements within the Kazakh oral professional music tradition. Foundational categories of the national art form are considered as part of a unified and intricate system, and their structural and functional relevance is examined accordingly. The study incorporates a quantitative evaluation of the relative importance of the core elements of oral-professional and folk music-making, alongside mechanisms for their renewal and preservation in a contemporary guise. The study identifies the principal constituents of traditional musical creativity. These include intonation (95%), rhythm (92%), timbre (91%), form-building (90%), texture (87%), and the specific characteristics of articulation and sound production (97%). The main principles of an innovative approach to oral-professional music are also established. Namely, the expansion of ensemble composition through the introduction of timbres from European acoustic and electronic instruments (70%), the application of vocal techniques associated with Western popular music and rock (94%), stylistic transformation via the addition of prominent harmonic accompaniment (89%), and alterations in musical texture (93%). Criteria and principles for determining the uniqueness of oral-professional and folk music samples are also identified.