Azernews.Az

Asaf Zeynalli College has hosted a concert dedicated to the holders of the Shohrat and Istiglal orders, the People's Artist of Azerbaijan, and the USSR Lutfiyar Imanov. The event was organised as part of the 3rd Azerbaijan International Vocal Festival, Azernews reports.

At the opening of the evening, the college director, Honoured Artist Professor Nazim Kazimov, spoke about the life and work of Lutfiyar Imanov, who made a huge contribution to the development and promotion of the art of opera.

For fifty years, the dramatic tenor was a soloist of the State Opera and Ballet Theatre, creating vivid and memorable images on its stage and performing the main roles in many operas by Azerbaijani, Russian, and Western composers.

Among them are parts in the operas Seville by Fikrat Amirov, Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, Carmen by Georges Bizet, The Queen of Spades by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and many others.

Of course, the role of Koroglu in Uzeyir Hajibayli's opera of the same name was an important milestone in Lutfiyar Imanov’s creative biography; he performed this role for more than thirty years.

Lutfiyar Imanov started working at the Sabirabad State Drama Theatre when he was 15 years old, during the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945).

At the age of 18, he headed the drama club, and at the age of 20, he became the artistic director at the Sabirabad Cultural House.

After graduating from the vocal department of the Baku Music College and the Faculty of Theatre Studies of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, he was a soloist in the choir of the Azerbaijan Television and Radio, the State Variety Orchestra, and the State Theatre of Musical Comedy.

From 1958 until the end of his life, he was a soloist at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 1965, he completed an internship at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and in 1975 at La Scala in Milan. He performed at concerts, performed songs of the peoples of the world, Azerbaijani folk songs, and others. He successfully toured in Iran, Italy, Germany, India, Canada, the USA, Czechoslovakia, Turkiye, and a number of Arab countries.

Lutfiyar Imanov was engaged in teaching activities at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory (professor) and in the early 90s at the opera houses of Istanbul and Izmir (Turkey). In 1987–1991, he was the chairman of the Azerbaijan Union of Theatre Workers. He died on January 21, 2008, in Baku. Lutfiyar Imanov was buried in the Alley of Honour.

The evening featured works from the repertoire of Lutfiyar Imanov. The concert aroused great public interest.

The 3rd Azerbaijan International Vocal Festival is organized by the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater with the support of the Culture Ministry.

The author of the idea and the festival's artistic director is Honoured Artist Ramil Gasimov.

The festival's closing ceremony will take place at the Heydar Aliyev Centre on December 22.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, Milli.Az.

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

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