Polish soprano shines in Baku [PHOTO/VIDEO]

26 September 2021 16:11 (UTC+04:00)

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By Laman Ismayilova

Polish soprano has captivated the audience at the 13th Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival.

The opera singer was accompanied by the State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Polish conductor Pavel Kotl.

Iwona Sobotka has successfully performed at major music venues, including the Berlin Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Royal Albert Hall in London, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

She made her opera debut in 2007 at the Opéra National de Paris and appeared also on the stage at Komische Oper Berlin, Polish National Opera in Warsaw, Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre, Grand Theatre, etc. Her operatic repertoire include roles of Violetta (La traviata), Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), Pamina (The Magic Flute), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Mimi (La bohème), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Liù (Turandot) or Micaëla (Carmen).

The concert program started with a suite from Gara Garayev's ballet "The Path of Thunder".

Karol Szymanowski's "Songs of a Fairy-Tale Princess" was performed as part of the concert. Note that a previous version of this work has been discovered a few years ago. However, its performance was postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The concert was followed by Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92.

The State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the Polish conductor sounded in a new way. The concert program aroused great interest among classical music fans. The repertoire of works was chosen very carefully.

The Day of National Music was celebrated in Azerbaijan on September 18 and timed to the birthday of the great national composer, founder of the Azerbaijan national opera Uzeyir Hajibayli.

The tradition of celebrating the composer's birthday as a holiday was laid by eminent conductor Niyazi, who used to celebrate this day each year after Uzeyir Hajibayli's death. This tradition continues till nowadays.

Numerous cultural events, including gala concerts and festivals, are being held across the country including the international music festival named after the composer.

The 13th Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival was held in Shusha, Baku, Ganja, and Aghdam on September 18-24.

The festival brought together talented musicians from Azerbaijan, the U.S., and Poland.

Photo and video credits: Kamran Baghirov