Qyrq Qyz show March 10 at Spruce Peak

Qyrq Qyz, an avant-garde multimedia concert, will be presented Saturday, March 10, at 7 p.m. at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe.

The name means “Forty Girls” and is pronounced “kirk kiz.” Qyrq Qyz is inspired by a monumental yet little-known Central Asian epic that celebrates women’s power through the exploits of an intrepid young band of “Amazons of the Steppe.” The ancient story features Gulayim, a teenage girl who gathers a group of 40 young female warriors and rallies her clan to defend themselves against invaders from the east. Vanquishing the invaders, the girls liberate their people. During the concert, projected images transport the audience to the wind-scoured steppes of Central Asia.

Seven virtuosic young female bards from Kazakhstan, Karakalpakstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, sing, recite, and play traditional instruments to share this ancient tale of female courage and empowerment. Qyrq Qyz, conceived and directed by award-winning Uzbek filmmaker Saodat Ismailova, has a musical score composed and arranged by Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky, one of Central Asia’s acclaimed artists. The concert is part of a three-day Stowe residency, which includes a visit at Stowe Elementary School and an International Women’s Day Qyrq Qyz Panel Discussion today, Thursday, March 8, at the Helen Day Art Center; a student matinee on Friday, March 9; and a brunch on Saturday morning, March 10, at Stowe Community Church.

This event is presented in collaboration with the Aga Khan Music Initiative. Information and tickets: sprucepeakarts.org.