The opening concert of the 16th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival took place on September 18 at the Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic named after M. Magomayev. Among the attendees were officials from the Ministry of Culture, well-known cultural figures, and music lovers. At the beginning of the event, the guests visited the exhibition "Our Culture in the Traces of Ornaments" organized by the Scientific, Methodical and Specialization Center for Culture in the foyer of the Philharmonic.
Saadat Yusifova, the Deputy Minister of Culture, noted that today is the 139th anniversary of the birth of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, an outstanding composer, musicologist, educator, columnist, and public figure whose achievements are celebrated in the musical history of Azerbaijan. She added that September 18 is also the National Music Day in our country, in honor of the brilliant composer. On September 18, 1995, National leader Heydar Aliyev signed a decree on celebrating "Uzeyir Music Day" every year on September 18. The birthday of the genius composer is celebrated with great solemnity in our country. The most significant of these celebrations is the Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture since 2009. This prestigious music festival is taking place for the 16th time this year.
According to the festival program scheduled from September 18 to 28, interesting events and concerts will take place in Shusha, Ganja, Shamkir, Lankaran, and Nakhchivan, along with Baku. In addition, a number of events will be organized across the country to celebrate the occasion. These include open-air and indoor concerts, performances, exhibitions, scientific conferences and master classes.
Soloists and groups of artists from the USA, Germany, Croatia, Vienna, Türkiye, Russia, Korea, Spain, Brazil, and other countries will take part in the upcoming festival. For the first time, the Azerbaijan National Conservatory will host a symposium of the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance (ICTMD), operating under UNESCO, as part of this festival. The symposium will feature discussions and panels titled "Echoes of Ancient Heritage: Exploring the Heritage of Music and Dance in Turkic Cultures and Beyond." According to the deputy minister, the most significant aspect of the traditional festival is the inclusion of the city of Shusha, the birthplace of Uzeyir Bey, in its agenda starting in 2021: "Various events are planned in Shusha this year, including the performance of the first Eastern mugham opera, Uzeyir Hajibeyli's timeless piece 'Leyli and Majnun'.
At the same time, a concert will be held in honor of the 100th anniversary of another outstanding composer from Shusha, People's Artist Suleyman Alasgarov. We are confident that the 16th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival will bring joy and lasting memories to music lovers for years to come. Uzeyir Hajibeyli's art will always retain its value as an important part of our historical and cultural heritage.
The concert program included performances by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Hajibeyli (Artistic Director and Chief Conductor: Honored Artist Fuad Ibrahimov), the Azerbaijan State Choir Chapel (Artistic Director: People's Artist Gulbaji Imanova), People's Artist Ulviyya Hajibeyova (piano), honored artists Ramil Gasimov (tenor) and Inara Babayeva (soprano), and laureate of republican and international competitions Mahir Tagizadeh (baritone).
The program featured the "Overture" from Hajibeyli's opera "Koroghlu," "Aria of Firuza" from his opera "Firuza," his "Spring Song" for choir and orchestra, "Cantata" for baritone, choir, and orchestra, "National March," and S. Alasgarov's ballad "Glory to the Artist" for vocalists and orchestra. Among other works performed were M. Mirzayev's poem "Dedication to the Great Master," I. Hajibeyov's rhapsody "Jangi" for piano and orchestra, A. Javid's Variations dedicated to Uzeyir Bey (adapted for orchestra by Ayaz Gambarly), F. Amirov's "Dedication to Uzeyir Hajibeyli," V. Allahverdiyev's "Ashigsayaghi" (dedicated to Uzeyir Bek), and S. Hajibeyov's symphonic composition "Caravan."
On this wonderful night, each piece was a gesture of respect to the dear memory of the selfless person whose name is written in golden letters in the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan. The audience responded to each performance with thunderous applause.
