Festival of National Music returning to Baku

The 2nd Republican Festival "National modal system of Uzeyir Hajibayli in the study repertoire for young musicians" will be held in Baku on April 10-17, Trend Life reported.

The festival, to be organized by the Baku Music Academy named after Uzeyir Hajibayli with support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, will be held in four categories – "Piano", "Composition", "Solo performance" and "Orchestral instruments".

The main aim of the event is to form spiritual and moral relationship to the cultural heritage among young people, promote performance of the national modal system in piano, violin, cello, wind and percussion instruments, as well as strengthen the role of national music in the educational process.

Uzeyir Hajibayli was a prominent composer, musicologist, scientist and tutor. He was also the founder of professional music and national opera in Azerbaijan

History recognizes Hajibayli as an innovator as well as the first to establish a professional music school and Orchestra for Traditional Folk Instruments, to compose the Muslim world’s first opera and operetta, to introduce a woman on stage, to write the country’s national anthem (which is the official anthem of Azerbaijan today).

He was the popular artist of the USSR (1938), the president of the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire (1928-1929, 1939-1948).

He created seven operas, including "Leyli and Medjnun" (1908) and "Koroglu" (1937), three musical comedies, cantatas, overtures, romances and songs and the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1918). He was also the author of the research scientific work "Fundamentals of the folklore music of Azerbaijan (1945).