Azerbaijan State Song Theatre named after Rashid BeybudovAzerbaijan State Song Theatre named after Rashid Beybudov is the first song theatre in the history of Azerbaijani theatre. It was founded in 1968 by an outstanding representative of vocal arts, People"s Artist of the USSR Rashid Beybudov. Today the theatre’s repertoire consists of compositions of such national composers as Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Gara Garayev, Fikret Amirov, Jahanghir Jahanghirov, Rauf Hajiyev, Tofig Guliyev, Polad Byulbyul ogly, Ramiz Mirishli, Faig Sujeddinov, Azer Dadashov and others. The original singing style that was inherent in our great singer Rashid Beybudov is still preserved in the singing of folk songs, mugams and tesnifs that make up the bulk of the repertoire. Over the years of its existence the theatre was the workplace of such folk art masters as Zaur Rzayev, Natavan Sheykhova, Mubariz Taghiyev, Elkhan Ahadzadeh, Khadija Abbasova, Azer Zeynalov, Zokhra Abdullayeva, Aybeniz Gashimova, Gulyaz and Gulyanag Mammedovas, Bilal Aliyev and others. Azerbaijan State Song Theatre has been warmly welcomed in many countries, including USA, France, Sweden, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, Germany, Turkey, Russian Federation etc. Over the last few years its on-stage performance group took part in the concert program of the EXPO-2000 opening ceremony in Hannover in 2000, represented Azerbaijan’s culture in 2001-2002 in Turkey, Moscow, Strasbourg, Austria, at the Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Germany in 2003, at the Novruz Holiday in Yekaterinburg in 2004, in Austria again at the Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Vienna in 2005 and at the International Music Festival Mertsishor in Chisinau, Moldova.