Azeri first lady gets UNESCO’s Golden Mozart award (UPDATE)
BAKU – Azerbaijani First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva has been conferred with UNESCO’s Golden Mozart medal. The award was presented last Friday during the opening of a major international music festival in the country’s northern regions attended by President Ilham Aliyev and visiting UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
The First Lady, in her remarks at the ceremony held in Gabala, one of Azerbaijan’s most picturesque places, noted that this one-of-the-kind town was once the capital of Caucasus Albania, one of the world’s most ancient civilizations, and each and every epoch and culture that prevailed here have left their indelible traces.
"Each person who has set foot on this land feels the breath of centuries. Though at present Caucasus Albania is not on the map, Gabala serves as the capital of [world] culture," Aliyeva said, adding that "everyone is united by music nowadays".
Aliyeva thanked the UNESCO head Bokova for her visit to Azerbaijan and her participation at the festival. She highlighted the importance of cooperation between her country and UNESCO, saying these relations were multi-faceted.
Bokova, for her part, said Gabala was "a grand stage" for this international festival. "This festival provides an opportunity to become familiar with Azerbaijan’s abundant musical heritage. She thanked President Aliyev and the First Lady for embracing UNESCO principles.
Speaking of the importance of the Gabala festival, Bokova said the event was "a reflection of Azerbaijan’s musical soul" and that such functions were pivotal for "connecting hearts and minds" in the future. "Azerbaijan is a land where various cultures converge, and this festival will represent them on the highest level," the UNESCO director-general said. Further, having praised the Azerbaijani First Lady’s contribution to supporting inter-cultural dialog, she handed to her the Golden Mozart medal.
The awards ceremony was followed by a concert featuring compositions by Azerbaijani and European composers performed by London’s royal philharmonic orchestra. The event included performances by Farhad Badalbayli, Dmitry Yablonsky, Yuri Bashmet, Emilio Ponzi, and Chloe Hanslip.