Erkegali Rakhmadiyev was born in Shubartau, East Kazakhstan Region, to the family of Rakhmadi Zhabykbayev, a well-known
aqyn and musician. From childhood, Erkegali was surrounded with folk music, he listened to performances by aqyns and
dombra players and learned to play and perform as well. In 1952, he graduated from Tchaikovsky Alma-Ata Music Academy and joined
Kurmangazy Kazakh Conservatoire to study under the well-known composer
Yevgeny Brusilovsky (he finished these studies in 1957). Erkegali’s first job was that of a music teacher, and he already became the head of Kurmangazy Kazakh State Conservatoire at the age of 35. In 1969 he was awarded the academic degree of docent and a professor’s degree followed in 1979. Rakhmadiyev became the Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Union of Composers in 1968. He was an active public figure, serving as a member of the 7th through 11th
Supreme Soviets of the Kazakh SSR and a member of the
Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, at the dawn of newly found sovereignty, Kazakhstani authorities invited Erkegali Rakhmadiyev to head the State Committee for Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Later he was appointed in a position of
Minister of Culture of Kazakhstan. Mr. Rakhmadiyev spent his twilight years living in
Astana and working as a consultant to the National Opera Theater named after Baiseitova. He died in
Almaty on April 9, 2013. ==Awards and honors==