Last weekend, Gabala, one of the most beautiful cities in Azerbaijan, hosted the opening of the 8th International Music Festival, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Since 2009 this outdoor festival has been one of the main cultural events in Azerbaijan and the entire Caucasus region. Every summer it brings together renowned artists from the former Soviet Union and around the world. The main direction of the festival is classical music, but jazz, flamenco and modern chamber music can also be heard in Gabala during these summer days. Traditional Azerbaijani culture is represented by the best performers of mugham at the festival. This is a high style of folk music, which was recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the intangible heritage of humanity. Each year the Gabala music festival hosts an international piano contest in addition to the main program.
This time the festival began with a concert by the Azerbaijani State Symphony Orchestra conducted by People's Artist Rauf Abdullayev. There were works by Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Niyazi, Fikret Amirov, Gara Garayev, Giacomo Puccini, Verdi and Rossini. The guest of the festival was a composer and singer, People's Artist and Honored Art Worker, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu. Accompanied by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of his son, the conductor Murtuza Bulbul, he performed both new and old compositions, which everybody likes.
The President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, Mehriban Aliyeva, greeted the participants of the festival: "Today the ruins of the fortress walls and churches remind us that this city was the capital of the ancient legendary state of Caucasian Albania. In recent years, Azerbaijan, where the traditions of tolerance have been preserved from the time of Caucasian Albania, where the representatives of different nations and religions have been living in peace for centuries, constantly contributing to the promotion and development of the dialogue between cultures and civilizations, has been known as a venue for international music festivals and arts festivals, conferences, exhibitions and sporting events."
By hosting the music festival in Gabala in 2009 a new tradition was started in the history of the national musical culture. The festival, which promotes the expansion of international cultural relations, informing the world community about our rich musical culture, enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between nations, has already become a fine tradition. The festival multiplies its international prestige every year.
Gabala has become a favorite meeting place for famous musicians, audiences and art lovers. The festival has become a major event in the cultural life of Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus. This celebration of friendship and music, involving numerous musicians from around the world, along with the preservation of the rich traditions of our cultural heritage, creating favorable conditions for communication and collaboration between the musicians, representing different countries, contributes to the strengthening of intercultural dialogue.
Mehriban Aliyeva expressed confidence that this year's festival will be another holiday that will give a sense of unity in the music world, which has no boundaries or rivalries.
The festival will continue until August 5th. During this time artists, art collectives, soloists and conductors from Azerbaijan, Austria, Bulgaria, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, the USA, Italy, France, Spain, Israel, Lithuania and Cuba will participate in the festival.
