Alash

Ayan Shirizhik

Ayan Shirishik

Ayan Shirizhik was born in 1982 in Bay-Haak. He started singing when he was very young. When his family moved to Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva, he began studying and performing with Andrei Mongush, the singer from the group Huun-Huur-Tu. He completed a B.A. in National Instruments at the Kyzyl Arts College and an M.A. in Conducting Folk Orchestras from the East Siberia State Academy of Culture and Art in Kyzyl. Ayan has toured in Russia, Europe, North America, and China. He won second prize for throat singing at the 2008 Xöömei Symposium. In 2009 he was awarded the title "Distinguished Artist of Tuva," and in 2021 he was named "People's Khöömeizhi of Tuva." He sings all styles of Tuvan throat singing and is particularly noted for his mastery of borbangnadyr. He plays all the traditional Tuvan instruments and is especially talented on the kengirge.