NEWS

Wonderful piano music has sounded at the State Philharmonic Hall as part of the "Youth Support" project.

Speaking before the concert, musicologist Tamilla Ahadova noted that Azerbaijan pays great attention to the development and formation of the younger generation.

She stressed the importance of the project "Youth Support" in promoting of young talents.

The "Youth Support" project has been held since 2016 to discover and support young talents in Azerbaijan.

The project is headed by the director of the State Philharmonic Hall, People's Artist of Azerbaijan Murad Adigozalzadeh, and the project coordinator is Ayla Karimova-Zekeriyye.

Within the project, concert programs are traditionally held several times a month at the State Philharmonic Hall.

The programs presented within the project are designed for a wide audience with different musical tastes, including connoisseurs of high academic performance, mugham, jazz, etc.

These events are being held with the support of the Culture Ministry and the Baku Music Academy.

The musicologist Tamilla Akhadova spoke about talented pianists Vurgun Vakilov and Atabala Manafzade,

The names of Vurgun Vakilov and Atabala Manafzade are included into the Golden Book of Azerbaijan's young talents. 

Vurgun Vakilov  musician is a laureate and winner of the first place at various competitions and festivals, including the 8th Citta di Pesaro International Competition  (Italy), the 10th International Piano Competition named after Adila Aliyeva (France) and others.

Vakilov is a student at Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot. He is the great-grandson of the people's poet of Azerbaijan Samad Vurgun.

Atabala Manafzade has won first place at the 9th Davorin Jenko International Competition (Serbia), the 7th Pera Piano Competition (Turkey) and others.

During the concert, laureates of republican and international competitions, Presidential scholarship holders Vurgun Vakilov and Atabala Manafzade thrilled the audience with works by M. Mussorgsky, A. Scriabin, S. Rachmaninov.

The evening was opened by Vurgun Vakilov who brilliantly performed Modest Mussorgsky's suite of ten piano pieces "Pictures at an Exhibition".

Next, Atabala Manafzade performed Alexander Scriabin's Piano Sonata No. 3 and Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp minor.

At the end of the concert, the musicians played an encore Antonin Dvorak's "Slavic Dances".

The capital city of Baku, beautifully situated by the eagle-like east part of Azerbaijan and on the western shore of the Caspian Sea in the south of the Absheron Peninsula, boasts show-stopping architectural wonders, among which Heydar Aliyev Center has a special meaning for the country.

Being one of the most recognized architectural landmarks worldwide, the Heydar Aliyev Center is one of the signature architectural landmarks of modern Baku, the capital city of the Land of Fires – Azerbaijan.

The Center was designed by world-famous Iraqi-British architect and Pritzker Prize winner Zaha Hadid.

Azerbaijan, a modern and strong country attached to its past and confidently moving forward, is recognized in the world through its national leader Heydar Aliyev. Thus, the Center bearing the name of Heydar Aliyev has become a symbol of modern Azerbaijan and modern Baku.

The construction of the Center was launched in 2007 and completed on May 10, 2012, to celebrate the 89th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev.

With its distinctive architecture as well as fluid, curved style that avoids sharp angles, the overall shape of the building resembles a wave-like ascension from the ground towards the sky followed by gradual descent down to the earth. This is not only a tribute to post-modern architecture, but also a portrayal of an eternal cycle.

The astonishing fact about the Center is that not a single straight line was used in its design. The lines on the building-bridge the past with the present.

The Center houses a conference hall with three auditoriums, a library and a museum. Located close to the city center, the site plays a pivotal role in the redevelopment of Baku.

The Center is engaged in studying and promoting the statehood policy and heritage of national leader Heydar Aliyev. It also implements projects to popularize history and culture of Azerbaijan all over the world.

The Heydar Aliyev Center has also become a great venue for solo exhibitions of the world famous artists, sculptures and photographers.

The exhibitions, dedicated to Andy Warhol, Tony Craig, Laurence Jenkell, Vim Delvaux, Bernard Buffet, Jorge Marin, Theo Allofs, George Condo and Richard Deacon as well as international exhibition projects such as Legends of Arms, Cradle to Space, Retro Classic Car and Grace Kelly - Style Icon attracted interest of the public.

The building was nominated for awards in 2013 at both the World Architecture Festival and the biennial Inside Festival.

In 2014, the Heydar Aliyev Center has won the seventh Design of the Year competition: a prestigious award presented by the London Design Museum due to its innovative and cutting-edge design.

In an interview with BBC News, Artist Dame Zaha Hadid, sharing her impressions of the Heydar Aliyev Center’s winning the high award said: “The surface of the Heydar Aliyev Centre's external plaza rises and folds to define a sequence of public event spaces within; welcoming, embracing and directing visitors throughout the building.

It's an architectural landscape where concepts of seamless spatial flow are made real - creating a whole new kind of civic space for the city.”

World-famous violinist Gidon Kremer will celebrate his 75th birthday with a spectacular concert in Baku.

The concert will take place at the Heydar Aliyev Center on March 5. The event is organized by Premier LTD.

Together with the famous maestro, renowned violinist Madara Petersone (Latvia) and the Baku Chamber Orchestra will perform on the stage under the baton of the Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Fuad Ibrahimov.

The creative collaboration between Fuad Ibrahimov and world-famous violinist started after Fuad Ibrahimov's victory at the Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition (2018) held in Paris.

Since then, maestro Kremer has repeatedly invited the conductor both to participate in his performances and in festival concerts organized in different countries.

He also warmly accepted the invitation to perform in Baku together with the Baku Chamber Orchestra conducted by Fuad Ibrahimov.

"For the first time I learned about Gidon Kremer in the distant 90s. Then I came across the book "Fragments of Childhood", written by Gidon Kremer. I just fell in love with this book and read it many times. In his book, maestro speaks about his work and emotional experiences , trips and life, which inspired me a lot. Later, I got my hands on his album "Eight Seasons", recorded with his Kremerata Baltica Orchestra, which also made a deep impression on me," Fuad Ibrahimov told Trend Life.

"Then I could not even imagine that I would not only meet the maestro, but also that he would be at the competition where I participated, and that we would repeatedly perform on the same stage. It makes me feel insanely happy and proud. Now I'm looking forward to a joint performance with the maestro in our city...," he said.

Honored Artist Fuad Ibrahimov added that it's a great responsibility and excitement for him to perform together with the outstanding violinist as the conductor of the Baku Chamber Orchestra.

Driven by his strikingly uncompromising artistic philosophy, Gidon Kremer has established a worldwide reputation as one of his generation's most original and compelling artists.

His wide repertoire encompasses standard classical scores and music by leading 20-21st  century composers.

It is fair to say that no other soloist of comparable international stature has done more to promote the cause of contemporary composers and new music for violin.

His name is closely associated with such composers as Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Part, Giya Kancheli, Sofia Gubaidulina, Valentin Silvestrov, Luigi Nono, Edison Denisov, Aribert Reimann, Peteris Vasks, John Adams, Victor Kissine, Michael Nyman, Philip Glass. Many of them dedicated their works to him, the first performer of which was usually the Maestro himself.

As an international violinist, he performs with the greatest orchestras and the most prestigious conductors, such as Leonard Bernstein, Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Herbert von Karajan, Nikolaus Arnoncourt or Seiji Ozawa.

In 1997 Gidon Kremer founded the chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica to gather outstanding young musicians from the Baltic States. During its existence, the orchestra has toured to more than 50 countries.

Together the ensemble performed such outstanding performers of our time as Jesse Norman, Mikhail Pletnev, Thomas Zeitmeier, Yo-Yo Ma and many others. The musicians recorded over 50 CDs, for one of which in 2002 the orchestra was awarded two prestigious prizes - GRAMMY and ECHO.

Gidon Kremer has recorded over 120 albums, many of which have received prestigious international awards such as Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis, the Bundesverdienstkreuz, Moscow's Triumph Prize, the Unesco Prize and the Una Vita Nella Musica – Artur Rubinstein Prize.

In addition, in 2016, the Emperor of Japan awarded him the Imperial Praemium Prize, equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the music.

This year is also marked by the 25th anniversary of the Kremerata Baltica orchestra, founded by Gidon Kremer.

Cultural figures will celebrate their double anniversary with numerous concerts in the cities of Canada, America, Europe, Asia.

The City of Winds gets ready to host a theater festival on March 2-7.

Within the festival, numerous events will take place at the Rashid Behbudov State Song Theater and the Shah Mat Theatre.

As part of the festival, the theater teams will stage various productions and take part in panel discussions

The festival will feature performances, discussions of productions, panel discussions, meetings with theatrical figures.

Theater productions based on works by Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Sławomir Mrozek, Ulviya Heydarova and others will be staged as part of the festival. 

Theater development in Azerbaijani culture has a very rich history, which begins with the theatrical elements of open-air folk performances, religious ceremonies and much more.

Azerbaijani theater originated in the second half of the 19th century, with the comedy "The Vazir of Lankaran khan" by Mirza Fatali Akhundov, the first Azerbaijani playwright, prominent thinker and philosopher.

First amateur performances staged by students of non-classical secondary school by initiative of Hasan-bay Zardabi and with the active participation of the Najaf-bay Vezirov and Alakbar Adigozalov, gave an impetus to the establishment of the national theater.

There are a number of theaters operating in Azerbaijan, including Sheki Drama Theater, YUGH Theater and many others. 

Today, Azerbaijani theatre art is taking a new turn in the art world. The country pays great attention to the development of theater art.

Art admirers have gathered at the National Carpet Museum to enjoy vibrant paintings of the Israeli artist Rami Meir.

Rami Meir is an Israeli artist who was born in Azerbaijan. He is also a poet, singer, author of song lyrics.

Meir is the chairman of Russia's Mountain Jewish Union of Artists. His paintings are stored in many private art collections in Russia, the United States and Israel.

Rami Meir creates paintings in various art styles from realism to impressionism. His art works are characterized by unique symbols which never cease to amaze art lovers.

His solo exhibition in Baku features 30 paintings from the Mountain Jews series, including works in the technique of metal engraving, wooden sculptures, neon sign paintings, and decorative coins made of precious metals, created based on the artist’s paintings.

Director of the National Carpet Museum, Honored Cultural Worker Shirin Malikova, Azerkhalcha Production Director Alisafa Nuriyev, the head of the International Charitable Fund of Mountain Jews in Azerbaijan Shaul Davidov, Representative of the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan Mark Ifraimov, exhibition curator Maria Filatova spoke at the opening of the exposition.

In their remarks, they noted that the Rami Meir's works are united by one topic – the history, culture, traditions, and customs of Mountain Jews, a small nation with a distinctive culture and their own Juuri language.

Mountain Jews history in art

The artist's solo exhibition "The History of One People – For the Whole World" left no one indifferent.

Through his art works, he strives to present the history of the Mountain Jews.

"It is important to understand that it was in Azerbaijan that Mountain Jews got the opportunity to live in peace, engage in agriculture, crafts, and trade. Our people call Guba the land of our mothers because it was here that our mothers gave birth to their sons and daughters for many centuries,"  the artist said.

While working on the series, Rami Meir studied the history of his people in detail. He collected a number of historical materials, books, pre-revolutionary postcards, old newspapers, archival documents which helped him to recreate traditions, crafts and traditional costumes of Mountain Jews through art.

The artist also paid great attention to the fabrics of that time, their texture and colors, and transferred all this to his paintings.

The exhibition presents not only paintings, but also chased products created in 1982-1983 and  woodcarving art.

Especially for the exhibition, Azerkhalcha OJSC wove the carpet Guba Carpet Weavers from Girmizi Gasaba based on the artist's same-name painting.

The weavers have been given the difficult task: to create a multi-figure portrait carpet in the traditional weaving technique.

Rami Meir also expressed his delight with the collection of the National Carpet Museum. The museum exhibits left a lasting impression on the artist.

The exhibition will run until April 1.

Michael Douglas is getting ready to take on the role of a Founding Father, starring as Benjamin Franklin in a new Apple TV+ series.

The 77-year-old Academy Award-winner and "Wall Street" star will play the lead role in the limited event drama, the subscription streaming service announced Monday.

The series will "explore the thrilling story of one of the greatest gambles" of Franklin's career, according to its creators, when he "outmaneuvered British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues, all while engineering the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the final peace with England of 1783."

Without Franklin's eight-year French mission, Apple TV+ said, "America would not have won the Revolution."

No release date or official title was given for the series, which is poised to be penned by HBO's 2008 "John Adams" miniseries writer Kirk Ellis.

The show will be based on Stacy Schiff's 2005 book "A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America."

An exhibition "Diverse Beauty" has opened at Art Tower Gallery as part of the FantazEU Cultural Heritage Festival.

The exposition includes 14 vibrant art pieces by Farida Garayeva, a graduate of the Carpet Designer Faculty of the State University of Culture and Arts.

In her art, Farida Garayeva, used the technique of a lint-free carpet - palas, kilim, shedde.

"Azerbaijani carpet schools have contributed to the world's handmade carpet weaving art. Without the masterpieces of our carpet weavers and works of the great artists, it`s impossible to imagine the treasury of world culture.  Having synthesized them, I wanted to show the world art in all its beauty," Farida Garayeva told Trend Life. 

The head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko said that the  European Union and the participating countries are committed to supporting and preserving cultural diversity. 

The FantazEU festival is the successor of the Fantazia Cultural Heritage Festival, which has been organized by the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan since 2018.

The festival took its name from the Fantazia Hamam, which was built in Baku at the end of the 19th century and featured European and local architectural elements.

Peter Michalko stressed that the festival in Azerbaijan has turned into a creative platform for demonstrating cultural diversity. FantazEU festival provides an opportunity to demonstrate  Azerbaijan's cultural diversity.

The Arts Council of Azerbaijan is providing organizational support under a contract financed by the European Union Delegation to Azerbaijan.

The head of the Arts Council Azerbaijan Dadash Mammadov noted that the festival's programme is very interesting and diverse.

The festival will contribute to the awareness of cultural diversity. Dadash Mammadov stressed the importance of the project in the country`s cultural life and  its promotion in the international arena.

Festival curator Sona Guliyeva spoke about the festival`s programme, including  photo exhibitions, concerts, literary evenings, seminars, film screenings, etc.

The festival aims at promoting European cultural diversity, with particular focus on European cultural heritage in Azerbaijan, including demonstrating links between European and Azerbaijani cultural heritage.

The event is organized in partnership with the EU Member States, with the active participation of Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden.

The first big event of the "Year of Shusha" will be the Kharibulbul International Folklore Festival, said Maryam Gafarzadeh, head of the media and communication department of the Ministry of Culture, Report informs.

He noted that the event would be organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and the Shusha City State Reserve in May:

The next Vagif Poetry Days are planned to be held in Shusha in July, the final stage of the Mugam TV Contest and the gala concert of the winners in July-August. It is also planned to hold international art festivals "Shusha - 2022" and "4 seasons of Shusha" during the year.

A memory of the Khojaly massacre victims have been commemorated in Baku.

The memorable concert took place at the State Philharmonic Hall.

The Culture Minister Anar Karimov, prominent cultural and art figures attended the event.

The  memory of the Khojaly genocide victims was honored with a minute of silence.

In 1992, the town of Khojaly came under intense fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran already occupied by the Armenian armed forces.

Some 613 civilians, mostly women and children were killed in the massacre, and a total of 1,000 people were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown.

The State Symphony Orchestra performed at the concert under the direction of conductor Mustafa Mehmandarov.

Azerbaijan State Choir Chapel was conducted by People's Artist  Gulbaji Imanova.

The concert featured music pieces by Fikrar Amirov, Gara Garayev,Agshin Alizade as well as the compositions "Roads leading to freedom" and "Dedication to Khojaly" by Rauf Aliyev.

A truly touching performance by the musicians impressed the listeners.

Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts has opened an exhibition timed to the 30th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

The exhibition included works by the academy's teacher, talented artist Adalat Kara. Nearly  70 art pieces were showcased as part of the exhibition at the academy's Museum-Exhibition Complex. 

The main purpose of the exhibition is to inform the public about the realities of the Khojaly genocide, to commemorate the victims of the tragedy. The exhibition was met with great interest among viewers. 

On February 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed forces, directly supported by the 366th regiment of the former USSR, stationed at that time in the town of Khankandi in Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan attacked, from five directions, the town of Khojaly.

About 613 civilians, mostly women and children were killed in the massacre, and a total of 1,000 people were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown.