The 13th Gabala International Music Festival has solemnly
opened, bringing together renowned musicians.
The large-scale event is organized by Heydar Aliyev Foundation
and supported by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry,
Azernews reports.
The event started by reading out a letter to the festival
participants by the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, President
of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, who made an
exceptional contribution to development and popularization of the
musical culture in the country..
The letter says:
“Dear festival participants!
Ladies and gentlemen!
I sincerely greet you, all the participants and guests of the
13th Gabala International Music Festival, wish the festival success
and convey my heartfelt wishes to all of you.
Azerbaijan, which has contributed to the development of
intercultural dialogue for centuries, has historically made efforts
to enrich the culture and art of different nations and further
strengthen the unity among peoples.
Internationally important events held in recent years in our
country, which has a rich cultural and spiritual heritage,
centuries-old traditions of tolerance and is located at the
crossroads of civilizations, are further evidence that the
fundamental principles of Azerbaijan are peace and humanism and
bringing together representatives of all peoples regardless of
their language, religion and ethnicity. A clear example of this are
the recent “Kharibulbul” International Music Festival and the
traditional International Mugham Festival – both held in the city
of Shusha, the crown jewel of Karabakh, after the glorious Victory
won in the Patriotic War on the instructions of President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. These friendship and music
festivals bring together musicians from many countries around the
world, contribute to the preservation of the rich traditions of our
cultural heritage and open up extensive communication and
cooperation opportunities for musicians representing different
countries.
Projects that enhance the efficiency of cultural and spiritual
integration are very valuable for us. In this regard, the Gabala
International Music Festival, organized since 2009, is playing an
immense role. The Gabala International Music Festival, which is
eagerly awaited by anyone fond of classical music, also serves to
discover new talents, exchange knowledge and research in this
field. We value this festival as a great contribution to the
expansion of intercultural dialogue and the further strengthening
of friendly relations between peoples. I am sure that the 13th
Gabala International Music Festival will remain in the memory of
our guests as one of the significant pages in the history of
Azerbaijani musical culture.
I wish everyone participating in the festival good health and
all creative people boundless achievements.”
Next, rector of the Baku Music Academy, People’s Artist Farhad
Badalbayli addressed the event.
The opening ceremony was followed by the concert program “Viva
Opera”.
The concert soloists, including People’s Artists Dinara Aliyeva
(soprano), Avaz Abdullayev (baritone), Samir Jafarov (tenor), Yusif
Eyvazov (tenor) and Honored artist Sabina Asadova (mezzo-soprano)
performed at the opening concert.
The soloists will be accompanied by the Azerbaijan State
Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the Honored Artist Ayyub
Guliyev.
This year’s festival brought together world-famous musicians
from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, UK, Estonia, Russia, Lithuania and
Poland.
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