Gabala hosts grand opening of int'l music festival

By Aynur Karimova

Azerbaijan's northern city of Gabala hosted the grand opening of International Music Festival on July 25.

The seventh Gabala festival, supported by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, is an outstanding musical event.

At the start of the opening ceremony, a congratulatory message from First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, was read out to the guests. In her message, the First Lady warmly greeted the participants of the seventh Gabala International Music Festival.

"This festival is an important event in the cultural life of the entire South Caucasus. This celebration of friendship and music with the participation of numerous artists from various world countries, contributes to the strengthening of intercultural dialogue, creating favorable conditions for dialogue and cooperation of musicians alongside maintaining the traditions of our cultural heritage. I am sure that this year's festival will become another holiday, giving us a great feeling of togetherness in the boundless world of music and competition," read the message.

Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev and the artistic director of the festival, Baku Music Academy Rector Farhad Badalbayli, then stressed the importance of the festival in terms of promoting Azerbaijan's culture and music. They praised the role of First Lady and Heydar Aliyev Foundation President Mehriban Aliyeva in organizing the festival.

Azerbaijan has always been famous for its music culture. The traditional festival promotes the country’s musical glory around the globe.

Annually during the festival, the stage in Gabala hosts great pieces by local and world-famous composers. The stage invites both young and seasoned artists to perform classic and chamber music, as well as Azerbaijani folk music Mugham.

This year, the festival is organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

This year's edition of the festival brings together world-renowned musicians and music groups from Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Israel, Croatia, and Germany; including the Italian Symphonic Orchestra, the Virtuozy Moskvy Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Ensemble of the Austrian Weiner Academy, the Flamenco Ensemble, Dubrovnik Guitar Trio, Andrey Gavrilov, Oksana Yablonskaya, Giancarlo Pazolini, Janna Gandelman, Alexander Rozhdestvenski, Jeremy Menuhin, Paul Mayer, Alexander Ghindin, Taras Yagopud, and many others.