Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

The 17th Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival has come to an end, Azernews reports.

The music festival was co-organized by Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry.

The festival's closing ceremony took place at Heydar Aliyev Palace, featuring a new production of Uzeyir Hajibayli's opera "Koroglu", staged by the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

The opera "Koroglu" was attended by officials, members of the National Assembly, prominent figures from culture and science, public representatives, and opera lovers.

The stage production was directed by Honored Art Worker Hafiz Guliyev. The orchestra was conducted by Mustafa Mehmandarov.

The production's chief artist was People's Artist of the USSR Tahir Salahov, with Honored Culture Worker Tehran Babayev as the artist, Honored Art Worker Sevil Hajiyeva as the choirmaster, People's Artist of the USSR Gamar Almaszade as the chief ballet master, and rehearsals were conducted by People's Artist Madina Aliyeva and Honored Artist Yuri Lobachev.

The three-act, five-scene performance featured leading Azerbaijani stage artists. The main character, Koroglu (Rovshan) was performed by world-renowned tenor, People's Artist Yusif Eyvazov. The role of Nigar was played by Honored Artist Ilaha Afandiyeva, and Hasan Khan was portrayed by Honored Artist Jahangir Gurbanov.

Ehsan Pasha was played by Fahmin Ahmadli, Ibrahim Khan by Nazim Mahmudov, Hamza Bey by Honored Artist Farid Aliyev, Ali by People's Artist Akram Poladov, and the roles of the villager Nadir and Eyvaz were performed by Nazar Baylarov.

Other roles were portrayed by Honored Artist Aliakhmad Ibrahimov (the Clown and the Herald), Hidayat Aliyev (Polad), People's Artist Fidan Hajiyeva (the Khan's daughter singer), Honored Artists Tural Aghasiyev and Mammadhasan Shammedov (Nobles).

The performance, presented with rich musical expression and high stage culture, was one of the memorable moments of the Uzeyir Hajibayli Festival.

At the end of the performance, the creative team came to the front of the stage.

Yusif Eyvazov, who played the main role, addressed the audience and expressed his gratitude.

This year's traditional music festival was marked by the 140th anniversary of Uzeyir Hajibayli (1885–1948), the founder of the national compositional school, the first national opera and operetta, a musicologist, publicist, playwright, and educator, People's Artist of Azerbaijan and the USSR, and an academician. On February 3, 2025, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, signed a decree on the anniversary of the great composer.

Supported by the Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation and ICESCO, the festival once again brought together renowned performers and ensembles, as well as musicologists, from several countries, including Turkiye, Portugal, the USA, Germany, France, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, and others.

For the first time in the history of the Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival, this year's events extended beyond the capital to include more than 10 cities and districts across the country.

Moreover, concerts and related events based on the unforgettable composer's musical works were also held in foreign countries.