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Laman Ismayilova

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A concert celebrating vocal and opera music has been held at the historic German Lutheran Church in Azerbaijan's Shamkir district.

The event was organized as part of the 3rd International Opera Festival of People's Artist of Azerbaijan Fidan Hajiyeva's Vocal Music School.

The concert at the historic German Lutheran Church in Shamkir was one of the cultural events contributing to the strengthening of Azerbaijani-German ties and the development of musical diplomacy.

The event was organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the German-Azerbaijani Society and was dedicated to October 3, German Unity Day.

At the beginning of the event, German-Azerbaijani Society Chairman Professor Chingiz Abdullayev presented Fidan Hajiyeva with the society's "Bridge" diploma on the occasion of her 50th anniversary.

Speaking at the event, Hajar Verdiyeva, a board member of the German-Azerbaijani Society and Doctor of Historical Sciences, spoke about the history of German settlements in Azerbaijan, their contribution to the country's social and cultural life, and the historical and cultural aspects of Azerbaijani-German relations. She also provided information about the history of the German Lutheran Church in Shamkir.

The concert programme featured works by Azerbaijani and German composers, as well as various examples of vocal and opera music.

The concert featured People's Artist of Azerbaijan Fidan Hajiyeva, young soloists Altun Suleymanov, Zahrahanim Abdullayeva and Asim Muradov, as well as the Mezzo Chamber Orchestra. The event was hosted by artistic reader Lala Hasanzade.

The concert was sold out and received an enthusiastic response. The artists' performances generated strong interest among the audience and were met with prolonged applause. Fidan Hajiyeva's performance of excerpts from Georges Bizet's opera "Carmen" made a particularly strong impression on the audience.

German-Azerbaijani Society Chairman Professor Chingiz Abdullayev told Trend that the concert was an important cultural event for Shamkir.

"The concert dedicated to German Unity Day was very successful. Undoubtedly, one of the main reasons for this success was our respected People's Artist Fidan Hajiyeva and her team," he said.

According to him, holding the performance in the historic German Lutheran Church created a special atmosphere for the event.

"A new breath and new voices were heard in this church in Shamkir. These were voices capable of spanning more than a century of this place's history," the professor noted.

Chingiz Abdullayev recalled that the church was built in the early 20th century and had been used for its intended purpose since 1912. It was later closed and, following Azerbaijan's restoration of independence, restored and once again became a venue for various events.

"Yesterday's event had a special atmosphere. Fidan Hajiyeva has a very beautiful aura, while the open atmosphere of this space further highlighted the beauty of her performance. The same can be said about the performances of her students," he emphasized.

According to the chairman of the society, the concert attracted considerable interest not only among residents of Shamkir but also among guests who came from Baku and Ganja.

"The guests were truly impressed. Both classical German music and Azerbaijani music were performed. Fidan Hajiyeva's performance of works from 'Carmen' made a particularly strong impression. It was met with enthusiastic applause," Chingiz Abdullayev said.

He emphasized that the event helped create a warm atmosphere of interaction between the performers and the audience.

"All the performers were presented with flowers. It was a very warm and engaging atmosphere. It was clear that residents of the Shamkir district have a strong interest in such events," he noted.

Chingiz Abdullayev expressed hope that similar concerts would continue to be held at the historic church.

"I think this initiative should develop further. As the German-Azerbaijani Society, we would like to continue this format periodically, both with the participation of Fidan Hajiyeva and other classical music performers," he added.

The 3rd Fidan Hajiyeva International Opera Festival is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of People's Artist of Azerbaijan Fidan Hajiyeva and the 30th anniversary of her artistic career.

For the first time in Azerbaijan, a classical arts festival of this scale is being held over a three-month period, from September 7 to December 7.

Around 30 musical and other cultural events are scheduled to take place in Baku and various regions of Azerbaijan, as well as in Paris, London, Milan and Minsk.

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