On September 18, we commemorate the 139th anniversary of the birth of Uzeyir Hajibeyli (1885-1948), a brilliant composer, musicologist, educator, columnist and public figure who left an indelible mark on the musical heritage of Azerbaijan. In honor of his birthday, this day is celebrated in our country as the National Day of Music.
It is worth mentioning that on September 18, 1995, the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev issued a decree to commemorate Uzeyir Hajibeyli's "incomparable contributions to the development of Azerbaijan's musical art and to reflect the people's respect and admiration for the great artist" by celebrating "Uzeyir Music Day" every year. Since 2009, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture have jointly organized a traditional international music festival in honor of the great composer. This year, the prestigious festival is held for the 16th time.
The events of this historically significant day by tradition began with a visit to the grave of Uzeyir Bey in the First Alley of Honor. The ceremony was attended by officials from the Ministry of Culture and well-known cultural figures. A wreath and flowers were placed on the grave of the great composer. At the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture Murad Huseynov congratulated the participants on the occasion of the National Day of Music. He mentioned that September 18 is the birthday of Uzeyir Hajibeyli and National Music Day in our country. Consequently, a number of events are organized in our country every year to pay tribute to the composer's invaluable contributions to our culture.
The 16th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival is being organized today by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture. This year's festival, which will be held from September 18 to 28, features a rich program. Farhad Badalbeyli, People's Artist and Rector of the Baku Music Academy named after U. Hajibeyli, noted that Uzeyir Hajibeyli occupies a special place among the immortal artists of our nation: "Uzeyir Hajibeyli is the person who marked the beginning of a historical era in Azerbaijani music, laid the foundation of our classical music, and created new genres. He made great contributions to our culture and was able to elevate our national music to the world level. The rector of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, people's artist Siyavush Karimi, spoke about the immortal creative work of Uzeyir Bek. He noted that thanks to the educational system established by Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Azerbaijan's musical culture has been graced with great artists.
People's Artist Sardar Farajov, Director of Uzeyir Hajibeyli's House Museum, and Dr. . Jeyran Mahmudova, Rector of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, and others discussed the extensive contributions of the composer, whose work has left a lasting mark on our cultural history. It was emphasized that despite the passage of years and centuries, Uzeyir Hajibeyli's art will live forever. Following the speeches, the attendees of the ceremony also visited the resting places of Gara Garayev, Fikret Amirov, Bulbul, Rashid Behbudov, Niyazi, and Muslim Magomayev, the prominent figures of Azerbaijani music, in the First Alley of Honor.
The attendees of the ceremony also paid tribute to Heydar Aliyev, the great supporter of our culture, and Zarifa Aliyeva, a distinguished ophthalmologist, scholar, and academician, and laid flowers on their graves.
