Rustem Nurkenov’s scholarly work is devoted to the study of Kazakh traditional musical culture. His main research interests focus on the dombyra, the history and evolution of kuyis from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries, and issues related to the preservation and transmission of musical heritage.

 

In his work, he examines traditional music as part of the historical memory and cultural experience of the Kazakh people, combining musicological, ethnomusicological, and historical approaches.

 

Main Research Areas

• Dombyra

- history of the instrument

- organology

- performance traditions

• Dombyra Performance Tradition

- performance schools

- history of kuyi

- regional traditions

 

Current Research

• Doctoral dissertation in the field of musical archaeology.
• History and evolution of dombyra music from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries.
• Issues of microintonation in dombyra instrumental music.

 

Conferences

1. September 2025 — ICTMD World Conference, Berlin. Presentation title: “The Scholarly Legacy of Bazaraly Muptekeyev and Its Significance for the Study of Kazakh Traditional Music.”
2. October 2025 — Annual International Scientific and Practical Conference “Music of the Great Steppe.” Presentation title: “The Archetypal Structure of the Traditional Language of Kuyi and Its Evolution from the Thirteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries.”
3. May 2026 — ICTMD Regional Conference, Tashkent. Presentation title: “The ‘Teacher–Student’ Tradition in Kazakh Music: Personal Experience and the Transmission of Knowledge.”

Publications