Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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September 18 - National Music Day is being celebrated widely and solemnly in Azerbaijan, as it does every year, Azernews reports.

On this occasion, on September 18, prominent cultural and artistic figures, as well as music lovers, visited the Alley of Honor to pay their respects to the National Leader, Heydar Aliyev, the architect and founder of our modern independent state. They laid wreaths on his grave to honor his memory.

The memory of the prominent ophthalmologist-scientist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva, was also commemorated, and fresh flowers were placed on her grave.

It is worth noting that this music festival is historically marked as the birthday of the great composer, founder of Azerbaijani professional music art, and encyclopedic musicologist, Uzeyir Hajibayli. The tradition of celebrating the great composer's birthday as a holiday was established by National Leader Heydar Aliyev. With the decree signed by the National Leader in 1995, on the eve of the 110th anniversary of the birth of the great composer, September 18 has been celebrated annually as National Music Day in Azerbaijan.

On this day, a series of events is held across various regions of Azerbaijan every year to remember the composer's invaluable contributions to our culture.

This day also marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of the great composer, the founder of Azerbaijani professional music art, musicologist, the author of the first opera in the East, and a public figure, Uzeyir Hajibayli.

On February 3, 2025, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to mark the 140th anniversary of the birth of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the creator of the first opera in the East, a renowned musicologist, talented publicist, dramatist, educator, prominent public figure, People's Artist, laureate of State Prizes, and full member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

The day of the prominent composer’s birth also coincides with the opening of the Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival.

This year, the festival will be held for the 17th time with a rich program for the audience.

Organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, with support from the Turkic Cultural and Heritage Foundation and ICESCO, the festival will run until September 28.

Numerous events will be held in Baku, Sumgayit, Shusha, Ganja, Aghjabedi, Nakhchivan, and Gazakh, featuring magnificent concerts, performances, exhibitions, academic symposia, and masterclasses.

This year, the festival will also bring together renowned performers, music groups, and musicologists from various countries.