The Department of Music Theory traces its history back to 1975. Before that, the subjects of the music-theoretical cycle, without which any serious musical education is impossible in principle, were taught only in the performing departments. Zh.M.Shelest (Ertman), A.I. Stavnichenko, N.A. Kuts, I.V. Alekseyeva, V.V. Timofeyeva, N.M. Pogrebnyak (Rambousik), V N. Agafonova became pioneers in the complex process of educating professional musicians who know the basics of the theory and history of music.         

A special merit in the formation of the department of music theory belongs to Galina Nikolaeyvna Skurydina, the first teacher with a musicological conservatory education. Thanks to her that in the fifth year of its existence in Aktobe Music School, the theoretical department was opened. G.N. Skurydina, who led the department for 18 years, became the center around which a group of teachers, who formed its backbone, the basis, gradually formed since 1978. They are B.D. Bukhman, A.B. Ivanova, O.Yu. Lamina, T. N. Solovyova, I.G. Tsurkan. After graduating from the conservatories, former graduates of M.E. Vasilyeva, Z.D. Amerkhanova, L.N. Karnaukh, O.V. Roetskaya, M.R. Grishukova returned as theoretical teachers, and  also Zh.Zh.Kurmanbayeva, D.S. Duyesinova, A.B. Sharipova, S.A. Yanovsky worked in 2000. The current director of the college, A.D. Ismagulov, has also been working at the department of music theory for more than 30 years, having been one of the first in the republic to teach music-theoretical subjects in Kazakh language.  In the first half of the 1990s, he became the second head of the department after G.N. Skurydina. Later musicologists were led by M.E. Vasilyeva, M. R. Grishukova, Z.D. Amerkhanova. In recent years, the department is headed by a former graduate of the college, M.K. Kozhanova, who graduated from it in two specialties — kobyz and music theory. Our other former graduates are also working successfully: Zh.A.Kanymkulova, M.E. Kurmanbayeva, K.B. Dalishova.

45 years of the theoretical department provide an opportunity to sum up some results. During this time, more than 120 specialists were graduated, and every third person continued and continues to study at the higher level-conservatories of Almaty, Saratov, Kazan, Astrakhan, Ufa, at Kazakh National University of Arts in Astana and other educational institutions of Kazakhstan and Russia. Graduates-theorists of the college successfully work at all three leves of the existing system of professional music education in the republic (primary-secondary-higher). They are in demand not only in Kazakhstan, but also in Russia, Germany, Israel and other countries.

Over the years, AMC has brought up a whole galaxy of talented teachers who play a significant role in the musical education of the entire republic. So, in Kazakh National University of Arts at the Department of Musicology and Composition there is an associate professor, Candidate of Art History G.Zh.Kuzbakova, teachers G.T. Shanbatyrova, N.K. Zholdasova, O.V. Nikonorova, D.S. Duiyesinova. Associate Professor, head of the Department of Musicology M.T. Kokishova (Nurkhabayeva) continues her teaching activities with the academic degree РhD in Kazakh National Conservatory named after Kurmangazy. G.Ya. Tampayeva defended her PhD thesis in cultural studies and received the highest academic degree РhD.

Former students of Aktobe Music College named after A. Zhubanov have achieved a lot not only at home, but also abroad. Yu. V. Kirbaba is a Candidate of Cultural Studies, Associate Professor of the Astrakhan State Technical University. L. E. Rajabi, who successfully taught at the Saratov State Conservatory named after L. V. Sobinov after its graduation, currently works at the St. Petersburg Music School named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov is one of the oldest educational institutions of secondary professional music education in Russia and almost the only one in St. Petersburg that has preserved the traditions of Russian classical music education to this day. Its teaching staff is traditionally one of the strongest not only in the Northern Capital, but also in Russia.

Former students of Aktobe Music College named after A. Zhubanov have achieved a lot not only at homeland, but also abroad. Yu.V. Kirbaba is a Candidate of Cultural Studies, Associate Professor of Astrakhan State Technical University. L.E. Rajabi, who successfully taught at Saratov State Conservatory named after L.V. Sobinova after its graduation, currently works at St. Petersburg Music School named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov is one of the oldest educational institutions of secondary professional music education in Russia and almost the only one in St. Petersburg that has preserved the traditions of Russian classical music education to this day. Its teaching staff is traditionally one of the strongest not only in the Northern Capital, but also in Russia.

Today, the teaching staff of the department consists of 8 people, most of whom have considerable experience, work experience and the highest qualification category. They enjoy a well-deserved authority both among the administration and among the students of the college — after all, it is known, musicologists are traditionally the “brain center” of any music educational institution. In addition to educational, methodological, and creative work, teachers of the department of music theory organize and conduct contests and quizzes among students, anniversary evenings and concerts, Olympiads for the city and regional secondary schools, give lectures to different audiences of listeners, participate in radio and television programs, write articles in regional and republican publications — all this is given free time and, ultimately, the whole life.

Students of the Music Theory Department with their teachers.                                                        From left to right, teachers: in the lower row – M.E. Vasilyeva, O.V. Roetskaya, A B. Ivanova,

A.D. Ismagulova, T.N. Solovyova, G N. Skurydina, Z.D. Amerkhanova;

 in the middle row, the far left is I.G. Tsurkan; in the upper row, the far left is O.Y. Lamina, and the far right is N.M. Rambousik.

1990 year

From left to right: sitting – O.Y. Lamina, A.B. Ivanova, O.V. Roetskaya, N.M. Rambousik,

Standin g- A.D. Ismagulov, Z.D. Amerkhanova, V.N. Agafonova, G.N. Skurydina.

1990 year

From left to right: lower row – M.R. Grishukova, Z.D. Amerkhanova, M.E. Vasilyeva,

G.N. Skurydina; upper row – A.B. Ivanova, A.D. Ismagulov, T.N. Solovyova, O.V. Roetskaya.

1996 year

From left to right: sitting – G.N. Skurydina, A.Zh. Kaliyeva, AD. Ismagulov, M.R. Grishukova;

Standing – O.V. Roetskaya, Z.D. Amerkhanova, A.B. Ivanova, L.N. Karnauh, Zh.Kanymkulova,

  T.N. Solovyova. 2001 year

From left to right: sitting – Z.D. Amerkhanova, A.B. Ivanova, N.B. Konurbasova, B.A. Zhamanbayev, A.D. Ismagulov; standing – M.K. Kozhanova, D.S. Duiyesinova, M.R. Grishukova,

E. Tikhomirova, T. Kryukovskaya, T.N. Solovyova. 2005 year

From left to right: lower row – M.K. Kozhanova, M.R. Grishukova, N.A. Yerzhanova;

upper row – A.S. Davletova, Z.D. Amerkhanova, G N. Skurydina, T.N. Solovyova, A.D. Dabylova. 2011 year

Teachers of the department, from left to right – K.B. Dalishova, Z.D. Amerkhanova,

M.K. Kozhanova, A.D. Ismagulov, A.B. Ivanova, M.E. Kurmanbayeva, T.N. Solovyova,

Zh.A. Kanymkulova. 2021 year