Yegana Akhundova: Russia and Azerbaijan have common base for professional music education

In Moscow, at the site of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, a two-day Summit of Heads of cultural institutions of the CIS member states ended. On the sidelines of the forum, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation of Baku Music Academy named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Professor Yegana Akhundova spoke about Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation.

- Has Baku Music Academy been in contact with the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music for a long time?

- We have been friends with the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music for many years, and after the memorandum of cooperation signed in 2022, we are even closer. Now we are developing projects for interaction in performing, composing, and conducting schools. We have big, creative plans. We strive to exchange master classes with the participation of leading professors and teachers, and, of course, student exchanges are important to us, which will help improve the professional level of our youth.
Yesterday, in Zaryadye a concert was held to mark the end of the international music festival dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Elena Fabianovna Gnessina. The academy's Symphony Orchestra and Gnessin Virtuosi Orchestra played on stage, and the school's combined choir sang. The huge team of Gnesin residents left a vivid impression on the audience with their wonderful performance.

We are waiting for representatives of the Gnessin Music Academy in September here at the Baku Music Academy. Negotiations are currently underway to select candidates to come to our university. We are processing information, making plans for closer cooperation and conducting master classes.
In addition to this, there is an idea to create joint ensembles — quartets, quintets — which will include Russian and Azerbaijani musicians. This will open up great prospects for the professional growth of young people and the development of new interesting programs, which will be agreed upon in advance by the leadership of the two academies in Moscow and Baku.

- Is this some kind of exchange of music schools?

- I must say that Russian and Azerbaijani musicians have a common base of professional musical education. I would like to cite an interesting historical fact. In 1921, the Azerbaijan State Conservatory (now the Baku Academy of Music) was opened and many prominent Russian musicians from Moscow and St. Petersburg became the first teachers in this educational institution. They were invited to Baku by the founder of the Azerbaijani school of composition, Uzeyir Hajibeyli. These were high-level professionals who laid the foundations of Azerbaijani musical education together with our musicians.
Our long-standing close ties are already evidenced by the fact that in 1921–1922, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, Matvey Presman, became the rector of the Azerbaijan Conservatory. Moreover, two Azerbaijani piano schools were founded by Russian musicians — Mayor Brenner and Georgy Sharoev. A graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Semyon Bretanitsky, played a major role in the formation and development of the Azerbaijani violin school. These examples can be continued, showing that our musical ties go back almost a century.
I would also like to note that the joint projects with the participation of young people, which we talked about above, are, first of all, an exchange of cultural values ​​of our peoples, the study of traditions and the best achievements in which the Russian and Azerbaijani lands are so rich. Cultural interpenetration and interaction helps strengthen friendship between our peoples. And it is very important in our time. After all, through culture, through familiarization with its riches, we get to know each other better, we begin to understand each other better. I am also sure that many political issues can be resolved using the so-called "soft power", which all people of art really hope for.

-Have you been to the summit of heads of cultural institutions of the CIS member states before?

- This is my first time at this summit. Our colleagues from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Belarus took part in this event. We establish connections with many of them, have a lot of discussions, and talk about problems in managing cultural institutions in modern conditions. I think that the use of the latest technologies in the system of modern music education will have a significant impact on traditional forms of perception of the world's musical heritage. We must accept these realities of modern life. We need to find new forms of perception of traditional classical music, which we inherited and retained its value through the centuries. I believe that in educational structures, musical institutions, conservatories, and academies it is necessary to introduce subjects aimed at studying the latest avant-garde music, especially for composition class students. Now, young people have changed both acoustic and visual perception. It is important to consider all these factors.
As Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, I try to establish contact with many conservatories around the world. After working together with the Estonian Conservatory, the Academy of Theater and Music, we have introduced the subject of electronic music into the curriculum of our university. The subject has become very popular among Azerbaijani youth, especially student composers. Expanding the horizons of students and introducing them to the latest technologies in music is a very good direction in the modern education system.
I'd like to stress that together with my colleagues we are also exploring the possibility of obtaining double diplomas. This will also bring the cultures of the two countries closer together and contribute to a completely new stage in our relations.

 - Do graduates of the Baku Music Academy work in Russia?

- Elchin Azizov, Dinara Aliyeva, Yusif Eyvazov and many others sing at the Bolshoi Theater. It's difficult to list them all. All of them are graduates of our Academy. Many of them improved their knowledge and skills at the Moscow State Conservatory. Three years ago, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of our university in the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory with a gala concert, where our best soloists performed. I didn't study here myself, but I interned with Lev Nikolaevich Naumenko, who is a very significant and respected name in the pianistic world. Many Azerbaijani performers came to Moscow to take lessons from famous professors, because, as I said, we have only one school. For example, I studied with Nigar Usubova, and she represented Goldenweiser's class, so I consider myself to some extent the creative granddaughter of a great musician.

Now, we have the opportunity to go to many foreign countries, but our connections with Russian musicians are the oldest and very strong. We are grateful to the Russian music school for the contribution it has made to the education of our talented musicians. The famous Azerbaijani pianist Murad Adigozalzadeh studied at the Moscow State Conservatory. Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, a jazz pianist, also studied in Moscow. Many more names can be mentioned. Today, these musicians are famous in the world.

- How do you assess the overall level of development of Russian-Azerbaijani relations in culture and art?

- The pandemic has made its own negative adjustments. Contacts, of course, have weakened. We have to start over a lot of things. Now, we are just getting back on track. We have always had traditionally strong ties with Russian musicians, and now, I believe, they are reaching a new level. Yesterday, musicians from Gnessin Academy of Music thanked us for speaking literate, pure Russian. Language is a good tool for strengthening connections. In Azerbaijan, everyone speaks Russian, we can communicate completely freely with Russian colleagues. Musicians from Russia give master classes at Baku Music Academy, sing in our Opera and Ballet Theater, famous actors come to our performances. Knowledge of the Russian language plays a big role in this.

- How would you assess the level of cooperation between Baku Academy of Music and Russian music universities?

-  Baku Academy of Music cooperates with Ural State Conservatory named after M. P. Mussorgsky, Kazan State Conservatory named after N. G. Zhiganov, Magnitogorsk State Conservatory named after M. I. Glinka, Novosibirsk State Conservatory named after M. I. Glinka and, of course, Moscow State Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky and Gnessin Music School. Joint projects jointly with Russian cultural institutions are implemented every year, often with the participation of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
I am sure that the past summit will make its own positive adjustments and we will achieve even greater success in working with colleagues from foreign countries, because we have something to show and share.