Music Festivals in Azerbaijan worth travelling for

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Music enthusiasts travel from all over the world to enjoy a first class event staged in Azerbaijan as a wide range of the stunning music festivals have taken start across the country.

They really worth your time! If you want to visit festival where you can discover new music, make sure you add at least one of these music festival in your bucket list.

Baku Jazz Festival 

Baku Jazz Festival is undoubtedly one of the most popular and highly acclaimed music festivals in Azerbaijan.

Every year, jazz lovers flock to the City of Winds for a few days of great live music. The festival offers a wide range of music styles and trends: avant-garde, traditional classics, ethno-programs, and symphonic jazz. 

The music festival is an annual jazz event organized by famous saxophonist Rain Sultanov to showcase Azerbaijan's long-running attachment to jazz. 

The 14th Baku Jazz Festival attracted great attention of jazz lovers. Stunning installation projection on the Maiden Tower surprised the participants and the guests of the festival.

Baku Jazz Festival and related advertisement are broadcasted in Euronews TV channel. In 2006, it was included in the list of the top biggest jazz festivals worldwide.

Since 2017, the festival joins the Europe Jazz Network. Baku Jazz Festival is also a member of UNESCO International Jazz Day Celebration.

Gabala Music Festival

Known for its welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, Gabala Music Festival traditionally takes place every year in summer in the city of Gabala since 2009. 

 At this festival, musicians perform in the open air. Along with classical music concerts, the festival features fascinating jazz and music evenings.

The music project is co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Gilan Holding. The artistic director of the festival is the People’s Artist of the USSR and Azerbaijan, the Rector of the Baku Academy of Music, Prof. Farhad Badalbayli.

The 11th Gabala International Music Festival took place on July 28-August 5, bringing together the world-famous musicians.

Works by Frederic Chopin, maestro Niyazi, Vasif Adigozalov, Giacomo Puccini, Gioachino Rossini, Henry Wieniawski, Achille-Claude Debussy, Dmitri Shostakovich, Franz Doppler, Francis Poulenc and Azerbaijani folk songs sounded at the festival. 

Silk Road Music Festival

The music festival, held in the country's beautiful part Shaki, is guaranteed to be one of the most colorful, vibrant, and fun-filled days of your life. And the 8th International Silk Road  Musical Festival wasn't an exception.

The music festival is known for producing massively beautiful stages.

Famous music bands and theater troupes, talented musicians from Turkey, Russia, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan performed at the festival jointly organized by the Azerbaijan Composers Union, the Ministry of Culture and Shaki Executive Power.

Like the first edition of the festival, the program of the 10th anniversary festival traditionally began with the play "Leyli and Majnun" by the great composer Uzeyir Hajibayli.

The opera was presented by artists of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. The director of the play is Honored Art Worker Hafiz Guliyev; conductor and choirmaster – Honored Art Worker Sevil Hajiyeva.

Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival

Every year since 1995, September 18 is celebrated as the Day of National Music in Azerbaijan in honor of the invaluable contribution of the great composer Uzeyir Hajibayli.

The legendary composer has left an indelible mark in the history of the Azerbaijani people.

His unique synthesis of Oriental and Western music significantly promoted the classical music traditions in the East and opened a page of classical music patterns.

Traditionally, national and foreign musicians, outstanding performers, orchestras from around the world gather in Baku to demonstrate their incredible talents.

Musicians and collectives from Germany, Russia, Turkey, Georgia, France, Bulgaria and other countries take part in the festival.

Mstislav Rostropovich International Music Festival

A festival dedicated to the eminent musician has turned into the feast of wonderful music.

The event brings together talented musicians from Azerbaijan, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain.

Rostropovich was a huge influence on the younger generation of cellists. Many have openly acknowledged their debt to his example. In the Daily Telegraph, Julian Lloyd Webber called him "probably the greatest cellist of all time."

He inspired and premiered over 100 pieces and formed long-standing artistic partnerships with such prominent composers as Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutoslawski, Olivier Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Norbert Moret, Andreas Makris and Benjamin Britten.

A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has become one of the leading conductors of the West.

Zhara International Music Festival

Nothing is better than to think of a vacation during this incredible music festival held annually on the Caspian Sea shore. Spend your days exploring the world-class music and meeting celebrities.

ZHARA is an international music festival that takes place every summer in Baku, on the coast of the Caspian Sea. The festival delights music lovers with spectacular concerts, star parties and film premieres, as well as tens of thousands of spectators and millions of viewers.

Azerbaijani and foreign singers take part in the festival. The hours-long concert program is accompanied by original choreographic productions, light and video shows, powerful sound and bright decorations. More than 200 singers and bands took part in this year’s festival.

Chingiz Mustafayev, Monatik, Philipp Kirkorov, A’Studio, Vera Brezhneva, Bosson, Rita Dakota, Dmitry Matatov, Mozgi, Glyuk’oza, Nikolay Baskov, Kristina Orbakaite, Burito, Emin Agalarov, Elina Chaga, Zivert, Aleksandr Panayotov, Slava, Grigory Leps, Ani Lorak and others were among them.