Azernews.Az

Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the April 19 presentation of the opera Cinderella at the Heydar Aliyev Palace in Baku, featuring the world-renowned Moscow “Helikon-Opera” theater, Azernews reports.

The performance is a magical stage adaptation by Azerbaijani composer Leonid Weinstein, a student of Gara Garayev. Conducted by People’s Artist Yalchin Adigozalov, the opera captivated the audience with vibrant music and striking visuals, enhanced by large-scale decorations and modern holographic technologies.

The event drew notable guests, including Mikhail Gusman, First Deputy Director General of TASS; celebrated director and TV host Yuli Gusman; Timur Weinstein, Deputy Director General and General Producer of NTV and son of the composer; Farhad Badalbeyli, Rector of the Baku Music Academy and People’s Artist; as well as public and political figures.

First premiered in 1985 at the Azerbaijan Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Cinderella returned to the Baku stage after 35 years, reimagined as a vivid musical fairy tale full of transformations and miracles. Directed by Ilya Ilyin and led artistically by Dmitry Bertman, the production charmed the audience with scenes where pumpkins became carriages, mice transformed into horses, and Cinderella was magically turned into a princess.

The performance also included interactive elements with the Storyteller engaging children, while young girls in the audience had the chance to try on the symbolic glass slipper—adding to the enchantment of the evening.

The opera, which celebrates the triumph of kindness and beauty over evil, was met with great enthusiasm by audiences of all ages.