Eyub Quliyev: "Russian and Azerbaijani musicians - representatives of one music school"

On December 27, famous Azerbaijani pianist and composer Farhad Badalbeyli will turn 70 years old. The anniversary will be celebrated in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow on December 13. The conductor of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, chief guest conductor of the Russian State Symphony Orchestra named after Safonov (Russia) Eyub Quliyev told Vestnik Kavkaza about the humanitarian cooperation of Russia and Azerbaijan.

See Part 1  Eyub Quliyev: "Farhad Badalbeyli is a symbol of the Azerbaijani musical culture"

- How do you assess the current humanitarian contacts between Russia and Azerbaijan?

- I'm still amazed and happy with what is happening between Russia and Azerbaijan in this sphere, since I'm part of it. I'm a graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and although I also studied at the Baku Music Academy, and trained in Vienna, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, I am proud to be a graduate student at the famous St. Petersburg Conservatory. I often perform in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yaroslavl. I am an invited conductor of the North-Caucasian Philharmonic in Kislovodsk, I worked there for a long time. I like to perform in Novosibirsk. Recently, the famous chamber orchestra of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic performed in Baku and Sumqayit at the Uzeyir Hajibeyov International Music Festival. The audience was delighted.

Several music festivals are held in Azerbaijan annually - the mugam musical festival; the Gabala International Music Festival, which, by the way, is led by Farhad Badalbeyli; the jazz festival; Rostropovich International Festival. On September 18 - the birthday of the great Uzeir Hajibeyov - we celebrate the Day of Music. Different concert halls of Azerbaijan hold classical music concert almost every day during the week. Most festivals are attended by musicians and bands from Russia. They are always greeted with cheers. People really like them.

Russia and Azerbaijan have ample opportunities for humanitarian cooperation. We are representatives of one school: piano, violin, instrumental, conducting. Many of our conductors studied in Leningrad, in Moscow. When Uzeir Hajibeyov became rector of the Baku Conservatory, he invited professors, musicians from Russian cities, including Leopold Rostropovich and Boris Zeidman. These outstanding cultural figures took a direct part in the development and education of musicians. Russian musicians along with our great musicians, teachers, professors laid the foundation of our musical education, our musical culture.

When the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra was founded, two outstanding Soviet conductors - Nikolai Anosov, father of Gennady Rozhdestvensky, and Leo Ginzburg, the famous professor of the Moscow Conservatory - came to Baku to work with musicians and recruit a team. And today not a single festival, not a single musical project in Baku is held without Russian musicians.

And people in Russia also love our musicians, often inviting them to Moscow, to Petersburg. Every year I perform in the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. This June, as part of the Musical Olympus festival, a very interesting concert dedicated to the legendary cellist, Professor Anatoly Nikitin, was held. Almost every year we visit Moscow. Last year and the year before last, we performed with the Russian National Orchestra at the television contest The Nutcracker, which is conducted by the Russia-K channel, then with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. A month ago I came to the 'Big Opera', where I was entrusted with the third and fourth program of this competition, which we recorded with the Russian Philharmonic, with the Kaluga Symphony Orchestra. After the collapse of the USSR, we did not lose touch, we are still friends, we communicate. I really appreciate it, because every meeting with Russian musicians is a big holiday, an impetus to create things and delight the public.

I want to note the role of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia. Our ambassador, the legendary musician Polad Bulbul oglu does a great deal to develop our relations, and not just cultural. I'm surprised how he finds time for all of it, and at the same time writes music. He wrote a fantastic ballet 'Love and Death', which could be seen in Yekaterinburg, the Bolshoi Theater, the Mariinsky Theater, and the Baku Opera House. I had the opportunity to work with him on a new version of this ballet at the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus. He's got amazing energy, he always looks young, works, creates unique art, supports Azerbaijani musicians and does everything to develop the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. I mean the invitation of Azerbaijani musicians to Russia, the support of students who study at the Moscow and St. Petersburg Conservatoires. Polad Bulbul oglu is also a co-chairman of the Council for humanitarian cooperation and Interstate fund of humanitarian cooperation of the CIS member states. Every month the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund holds important events - concerts, performances in Azerbaijan, Russia and other countries of the former USSR.

We all rejoice at what is happening in Azerbaijan and in Russia, thanks to the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The Moscow representation of this fund, Vice President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Leyla Aliyeva, does a lot for our youth. The Youth Forum, which takes place in Moscow is especially important. I always follow with interest the activities of the Moscow branch of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and both Leyla-khanum and our prominent cultural figures like Polad Bulbul oglu and Farhad Badalbeyli are always ahead of their time. They are part of our history, our culture. I am proud to be personally acquainted with them, to have the opportunity to communicate with them.

- Are there any anniversary events planned after celebrating the 70th anniversary of Farhad Badalbeyli in Moscow?

- Yes, a lot. I would call the concert held in Baku a dress rehearsal. It was sold out. Farkhad Badalbeyli performed Gershwin, and also performed an Arab concert with me. I also  was conducting Ave Maria. After the Moscow celebration of the anniversary there will be concerts in other European cities. Then the Baku Musical Academy looks forward to Farhad Badalbeyli, they have prepared a very unusual, interesting program. As far as I know, there will be events dedicated to his jubilee both in Turkey and in Asian countries.