Azernews.Az

The 120th anniversary of the birth of renowned composer Dmitri Shostakovich has been commemorated at the BIAF-2026 International Arts Festival in Baku, with a series of performances exploring his musical legacy and influence on Azerbaijani classical music.

One of the highlights of the festival was the concert "The Teacher and the Students", held at the Baku Music Academy named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Trend reports.

The concert featured compositions by Dmitri Shostakovich, Gara Garayev and Arif Melikov, highlighting the artistic connections between three generations of composers and the continuity of their musical traditions.

The programme explored the relationship between Shostakovich and his student Gara Garayev, who subsequently became one of Azerbaijan's most influential composers and mentored numerous musicians, including Arif Melikov.

Through their works, the concert demonstrated how different artistic styles and national musical traditions developed within a shared creative school.

Honoured Artist and Professor Zumrud Dadashzade opened the evening with introductory remarks, providing insights into the composers' artistic relationships and the historical context of the selected works.

One of the central performances was Gara Garayev's Second String Quartet, dedicated to his teacher Dmitri Shostakovich.

The composition, characterised by neoclassical elements and subtle Azerbaijani musical influences, was performed by Honoured Artists Dzheyla Seidova, Vakhtang Imanov and Alexey Miltykh, alongside Said Mamedov.

The musicians' coordinated performance and expressive interpretation received a warm response from the audience.

The programme also featured romances by Arif Melikov based on poems by Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet.

Performed by soprano Nigar Jafarova and People's Artist Farhad Badalbeyli on piano, the compositions highlighted Melikov's ability to combine poetic expression with musical interpretation.

Badalbeyli's piano performance complemented the vocal passages, reinforcing the emotional depth and lyrical qualities of the works.

The evening culminated in a performance of Shostakovich's Second Piano Trio, composed in memory of his close friend, musicologist Ivan Sollertinsky.

The work was performed by Farhad Badalbeyli, Dmitry Sitkovetsky and Boris Baraz.

Through their interpretation, the musicians explored the composition's emotional complexity, reflecting themes of personal loss, wartime suffering and tragedy.

The sorrowful passacaglia formed one of the performance's most emotionally charged moments, while the finale brought together contrasting dance rhythms, irony and tragic musical expressions.

The ensemble's interpretation conveyed the dramatic contrasts of Shostakovich's composition, leaving a strong impression on the audience.

The concert formed part of the wider BIAF-2026 programme dedicated to Shostakovich's 120th birth anniversary, which includes performances of works from different periods and genres of his career.