BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 19. The 18th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival was officially opened at the Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall. As part of the evening, a gala concert was held to mark the opening of the 1st Kurultai of Composers of Turkic World, a Trend correspondent reports from the event.
The event was held on National Music Day, which is traditionally celebrated in Azerbaijan. Before the concert, guests viewed an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress.
The concert program featured works by composers of the Turkic world performed by the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Honored Artist Fuad Ibrahimov. The soloists were Hungarian violinist Sándor László, flutist Nijat Salmanov and oboist Alim Sadikhov.
The works of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Muslim Magomayev, Sándor László, Rovshan Nepesov, Aктoty Raimkulova, Özge Gülbey, Muratbek Begaliyev and Rustam Abdullayev were met with ovations from the audience, participants of the 1st Kurultai of Composers of Turkic World and guests from different countries.
Abdullah Akat, Chairman of the ICTM Working Group for the Study of Music and Dance of the Turkic World and Professor of the Department of Musicology at Istanbul University State Conservatory, congratulated the Azerbaijani people on National Music Day.
“Uzeyir Hajibeyli is a star of our culture. It is thanks to Uzeyir Hajibeyli and the great composers who came after him that our music is heard and resonates not only throughout the Turkic world, but around the world.
Therefore, it is a great honor for us to be in Baku at a festival organized in his honor, to commemorate him here, and at the same time to be part of a very important initiative taking place these days. We are very excited because in the coming days we will announce the establishment of the Union of Turkic World Composers. We want to organize events and implement projects worthy of the name of Uzeyir Hajibeyli and capable of preserving and continuing his legacy. May Allah allow us to achieve this, and may the entire Turkic world continue on its path, joining forces and developing cooperation in the field of music as well,” he said.
Hungarian composer and violinist Sándor László, who performed the solo part in his own composition “Transylvanian Dance” at the concert, spoke highly of the Congress and the classical music festival.
“I have colleagues in Hungary, musicians, mostly instrumentalists. They maintain good relations with Azerbaijani musicians and recommended that I come here. Interestingly, we Hungarians also know the word ‘kurultai,’ as there is a kurultai in Hungary as well. However, it is not a gathering of composers and musicologists, but an assembly of horse riders and mounted archers. I also practice horseback archery. So, the first time I heard this word, it was as a horse rider rather than as a composer. In preparation for this festival, I listened to some of Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s works. And I found a certain similarity between his role in Azerbaijani culture and, perhaps, the role of our composer László Lajtha in Hungarian culture or, for example, the role of Enescu in Romanian culture,” he noted.
The 1st Kurultai of Composers of Turkic World is being held from September 18 to 20 as part of the 18th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival. It is jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, with the participation of the ICESCO Regional Office in Baku, the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan National Conservatory.
The Kurultai is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress, the 885th anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi and the 585th anniversary of Alisher Navoi. Prominent representatives of the music communities of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Hungary and Turkmenistan are taking part.
The extensive program includes meetings, academic discussions and musical events. Over the course of three days, sessions, an international round table, thematic exhibitions, as well as symphonic, chamber and traditional music concerts are being held.
One of the main outcomes of the Kurultai will be the establishment of the Union of Turkic World Composers – Turkic Union of Composers (TUC), which will bring together composers, musicologists, performers and representatives of leading music organizations of the Turkic world.
On September 19, the first official meeting of the Union of Turkic World Composers will be held at the headquarters of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. The meeting is expected to include the signing of the Baku Declaration on the establishment of the TUC, as well as a discussion of the draft charter of the new international professional platform.
The establishment of the Union is intended to strengthen
professional ties among music organizations in the Turkic world.
Particular attention will be paid to preserving and developing the
common musical heritage, supporting contemporary schools of
composition, promoting creative exchange, and popularizing the
music of the Turkic world on the international stage.
