Azernews.Az

The premiere of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker was held on December 18, 2025, at Mexico City’s renowned National Auditorium under the baton of Eyyub Guliyev, Honored Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

The project marked a landmark cultural event, as it was the first time an Azerbaijani conductor was invited to lead such a prestigious production organized by Mexico’s leading cultural institutions. Guliyev, who serves as chief conductor of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and conducts the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra named after Gara Garayev, took part in the project with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Mexico.

The ballet was performed by the orchestra of the Art Theater of Mexico’s National Institute of Arts and Literature (INBAL), together with the ballet troupe of the National Dance Group. The premiere was staged to a full house, with more than 100 ballet dancers, including children’s ballet performers, and an orchestra of over 80 musicians involved in the production.

Founded more than seven decades ago, the Art Theater Orchestra is among Mexico’s leading musical ensembles. The National Auditorium, with a seating capacity of around 10,000, is one of the largest and most prominent concert venues in Latin America and regularly hosts major international performances.

According to the organizers, all ten scheduled performances of The Nutcracker, which will run until December 23, have already sold out. Overall attendance is expected to reach around 100,000 spectators, underscoring the strong public interest and the success of the production led by the Azerbaijani maestro.