Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The 9th International Uzeyir Hajibeyli Music Festival kicked off at the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic on September 18.

Every year since 1995, September 18 is celebrated as the Day of National Music in Azerbaijan in honor of the invaluable contribution of Hajibeyli in the development and promotion of national musical art.

Traditionally, alongside national musicians, outstanding performers, orchestras from many countries gather in Baku to demonstrate their skills, performing in the best concert halls of the capital.

The festival is held with the organization of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Culture and Tourism Ministry of Azerbaijan. Musicians and collectives from Germany, Russia, Turkey, Georgia, France, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Iran will take part this year’s festival.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev, First Deputy Minister Vagif Aliyev, Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova, Philharmonic Director, People's Artist Murad Adigozalzade, Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin and many cultural and art figures attended the opening ceremony of the festival in the Philharmonic.

The Festival was opened by the performance of the brilliant work of Uzeyir Hajibeyli - "Koroglu".

The national artist of Azerbaijan Fahraddin Kerimov conducted the orchestra.

Then for the first time in Baku, Marsh from the opera Tannhauser by Richard Wagner was sounded. The symphonic poem "For the sake of peace" by Jovdet Hajiyev, dedicated to the composer's 100th anniversary was also performed at the event. In conclusion, the orchestra performed the work of Igor Stravinsky - "Firebird".

Within the framework of the Festival, a concert of one of the best chamber groups in the world - the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra will be held at the Philharmonic on September 19.

Until September 26, various concerts, performances, and more will be held in different cultural venues of the capital city within the framework of the Festival.

Born in 1885 in the heart of the ancient Azerbaijani Khanate of Karabakh -- Shusha -- Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s outstanding musical talent started a revolution in the Azerbaijani musical timeline.

He was the very musician to introduce an extraordinary innovation in the nation's music culture, to constantly refresh it, and adjust to modern tastes. He was a founder of an opera genre not only in Azerbaijan, but the East and created the first Muslim opera in the Islamic world.

His unique synthesis of Oriental and Western music significantly promoted the classical music traditions in the East and opened a page of classical music patterns.

The unique composer was brave enough to explore blending two incompatibly different cultures at root and achieve an unprecedented synethesis.

History recognizes Hajibeyli as an innovator as well as the first to establish a professional music school and Orchestra for Traditional Folk Instruments, to compose the Muslim world’s first opera and operetta, to introduce a woman on stage, to write the country’s national anthem (which is the official anthem of Azerbaijan today), to be awarded the highest artistic title of the Soviet Union.

Hajibeyli occupied himself in almost every facet of music culture, and was a great conductor, publicist, playwright, teacher, and translator.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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