State Opera and Ballet Theatre joins int'l conference

By Laman Ismayilova

The State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre has taken part in the 4th Silk Road International League of Theatres.

The virtual conference brought together the heads of the Chinese opera houses and members of the International League of Silk Road Theatres.

The chief conductor and musical director of the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater Honored Artist Ayyub Guliyev addressed the event. He informed the conference participants about Azerbaijan's rich musical heritage. The conductor provided insight into the history of the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Ayyub Guliyev also touched on the theatre's latest achievements.

Furthermore, the conference participants enjoyed video and audio materials about the theater's activities.

Notably, the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre has recently joined the 4th Silk Road International League of Theatres.  

The project unites 124 well-known musical groups from 42 countries. The State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater was officially presented to all members on November 23.

Ayyub Guliyev is the winner of several competitions, including the International Conducting Competition after B. Lyutoslavckiy in Belostok in 2006 and the International Conducting Competition after D. Mitropoulos in Athens in 2008 and many others. 

In 2010, Guliyev won the top award, the Giuseppe Sinopoli prize, at the International Conducting Competition named after Arturo Toscanini in Parma.

The Honored Artist of Azerbaijan also successfully collaborated with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (United Kingdom), Hamburg Klassik (Germany), Radio France, Lamoure, Elios (France) orchestras, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Wiener Consilium (Austria), Toscanini Philharmonic (Italy), Kolors Symphony Orchestra (Greece), Sichuan and Kunmin Philharmonic Orchestras (China), Danube Orchestra (Hungary), Russian National Orchestra (RNO), Russian Philharmonic Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra (Croatia) orchestra (Croatia, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra (Croatia), Lithuanian National Orchestra, etc.

He gave concerts at the Mariinsky Theater, the National Opera Theatre of Belgrade (Serbia), the Mikhailovsky Opera Theatre (St. Petersburg) and the E. Theodorini Opera House in Romania.

In 2018, Ayyub Guliyev was appointed as chief conductor and music director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Being one of the city's major cultural venues, the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre always delights its guests with fascinating ballets, operas, and other theatrical performances.

The theatre's building was erected in 1910-1911. On October 18, 1918, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) decided to officially turn this building into a state theatre.

Since 1920, the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre has been operating at the building.

The State Opera and Ballet Theatre has played a major role in shaping the Azerbaijani opera art.

"Leyli and Majnun" by Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the first opera of the entire East, was first performed at the theatre in 1908.

The opera laid the foundation of the new genre in the musical culture of the world, which synthesizes oriental and European musical forms, resembling a dialogue of two musical cultures of East and West.

It was followed by multiple national operas such as "Sheikh Sanan" (1909), "Rustam and Zohrab" (1910), "Shah Abbas and Khurshid Banu" (1911), "Asli and Kerem"(1912), "Harun and Leyla" (1915), "Koroghlu " (1932).

Today, the theater continues to delight its guests with fascinating ballets, operas, and other theatrical performances.

Recently, the theater has marked its 100th anniversary. The theatre's chief director, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Hafiz Guliyev as well as the soloists - Honored Artist Ilaha Efendieva, Jahangir Gurbanov and Farid Aliyev provided insight into the country's opera art as part of the United by Culture project.

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Laman Ismayilova  is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lamiva993

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