Baku International Jazz Festival reveals its program

TThe concert programs will be held at the International Mugham Center and Rotunda Jazz Club on October 14-28.

Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Hasan Bagirov (St. Petersburg) and pianist jazz Leonid Ptashka (Israel) will perform at the International Mugham Center on October 15.

Rotunda Jazz Club invites you to enjoy spectacular concert of German saxophonist and composer Uwe Steinmetz on October 16.

Estonian singer Laura Poldveren will give a concert at Rotunda Jazz Club on October 19.

French Jean Cholet trio (October 29) and the Swedish band " Music, Music, Music" (October 21) will delight you with superb performance.

Elvin Bashirov's band will per- form a concert at the Rotunda Jazz Club on October 22.

Rotunda Jazz Club will host a concert of Can Canakkaya and Kagan Yildiz (Turkey) on October 23.

Martin Salemi Trio (Belgium) will perform in Baku on October 24.

Moreover, the concerts of Helge Lien Trio (Norway) and Michael Pipoquinha (Brazil) await jazz lovers on October 26.

Belgian Ruben Hein trio will perform at Rotunda Jazz Club on October 27.

The final concert will be held at the International Mugham Center.

Famous U.S. musicians Grégoire Maret and Christie Dashiell will perform at International Mugham Center on October 28.

Within the framework of the festival, International Jazz Contest will be held on October 15-18.

The Baku Jazz Festival is a forum and musical festival including education (seminars, master classes), competition ("Best Jazz Performer"), a "Kids jazz day", art and photo exhibitions, jam sessions and jazz concerts with the participation of best performers of the world of jazz.

The festival has become a member of the Europe Jazz Network, which bring together 115 members from 34 countries.

The revival of jazz in the Land of Fire started in 1960s, thanks to the active efforts of great national composers such as Gara Garayev, Tofig Guliyev, Rauf Hajiyev and Niyazi.

The "flowering" of Azerbaijani jazz is associated with the names of giants such as Rafig Babayev and Vagif Mustafazade, who experimented creating unrepeatable compositions, becoming the founders of a new jazz trend jazz-mugham. This unique genre assembles both a traditional Azerbaijan music and a classic American jazz.

Today, Azerbaijani jazz performers are winners of many international jazz festivals and competitions.

Niyazi, a descendant of the famous musical dynasty, has become Azerbaijan's first professional conductor to gain international recognition.

The formation and development of the Azerbaijani school of conducting is connected with his name.

His sense of rhythm, the fluidity of his music and incredible charisma mesmerized music lovers all over the word.

The authority of Niyazi in the world of music was huge and indisputable. This is evidenced by numerous enthusiastic reviews of colleagues, famous musicians.

A legendary conductor was born in Tbilisi on August 20, 1912. Niyazi Hajibeyov grew up in an extraordinarily musical family. Since his childhood, Niyazi was surrounded by some of Azerbaijan's greatest musicians.

His father, Zulfugar Hajibeyov (1884-1950), was one of the founders of the Musical Theater in Azerbaijan.

Niyazi was also the nephew of Uzeyir Hajibeyli (1885-1948), the founder of the Azerbaijani classical music.

Niyazi first wanted to become a military man, and then an athlete. He showed interest in football refereeing, and air sports. He even took part in the competitions in weightlifting of the society "Dynamo" and became the champion of Azerbaijan in the category of 56 kilograms. He also headed the Azerbaijan Weightlifting Federation.

He was playing the violin in "Qırmızı Kadet" Turkish military orchestra in 1921.

Then he studied at the Gnessin Music School in Moscow in 19251926. In 1929-30 Niyazi studied at the Central Musical Technical School in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), but dropped out due to health problems. He returned to Baku in 1931. Right after that he was sent to Dagestan where he met his future wife Hajar khanum. Her family would not approve of the marriage. So she and Niyazi decided to run away and secretly married. They lived a very difficult yet fulfilling life.

Despite all difficulties, the great love of his wife gave him strengths and inspired to create most of his masterpieces, which contributed to Azerbaijan's and the world musical treasury.

The first great success came to Niyazi in 1938 at the Days of Azerbaijani Art in Moscow. He conducted Uzeyir Hajibeyov's operas, "Koroglu" (The Blind Man's Son) as well as Muslim Magomayev's opera "Nargiz".

Niyazi's incredible ability as a conductor was innate.

He was the conductor and music director of the Azerbaijan State Symphony orchestra for 46 years.

His orchestra accompanied such legendary singers as Bulbul, Rashid Behbudov, Muslim Magomayev, Lutfiyar Imanov and other outstanding performers.

Niyazi’s most significant works include the opera "Khosrow and Shirin" (1942), and the ballet "Chitra" (1960). His symphonic mugham "Rast" achieved worldwide popularity and was included to the repertoire of many symphony orchestras around the world.

He also wrote a number of major epic pieces in the 1940s.

His military-themed music "Memoirs" and "In the battle" were included in the program of the Decade of music of the Transcaucasian republics in 1944.

The maestro was honored as the People's Artist of the USSR (1959) and received the USSR State Prize (1951, 1952) and highest title of the USSR, the Hero of Labor (1982).

The maestro died on August 2, 1984 in Baku and was buried in the Alley of Honor.

The Home-Museum of the great conductor and composer was founded in 1994 by the Decree and personal involvement of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.