Azerbaijani, Russian musicians pay tribute to jazz legend

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Riad Mammadov has performed a magnificent concert at International Mugham Center, Azernews reports.

Incredibly talented musician delighted the listeners with classical masterpieces composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Frederic Chopin, and Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as his own piano pieces

Spectacular concert organized by the Russian House in Baku with the support of the International Mugham Center and Vagif Mustafazade Cultural and Charitable Foundation within the Year of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia.

While performing at the concert, Riad Mammadov and Russian musicians Sergey Korchag and Dmitri Yeroshin paid tribute to Azerbaijani jazz legend Vagif Mustafazada. They performed the author's transcription of Vagif Mustafazade's play "I am waiting for my beloved".

Riad Mammadov is considered one of the few professional musicians in the world working in the jazz mugham genre.

The musician recorded a solo album with works by Tchaikovsky, Chopin, and Debussy, two vinyl records with his own piano pieces, and a single "Waiting for Aziza" in jazz mugham style.

In 2014, Riad was appointed special musical advisor for the 1st European Games Ceremonies under musical directors, maestro Teodor Currentzis, Vangelino Currentzis, and artistic director Dimitris Papaioannou.

He was a student of such prominent music teachers as V. Merjanov, A. Bonduryanskiy, M. Lidskiy, E. Nazirova, S. Beybutova, and others. While studying, Riad became a scholarship holder of the Heydar Aliyev Presidential Fund. Upon graduating he was invited as a guest artist to the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre.

The musician has successfully performed in over 15 countries. He shared the same stage with the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, Qara Qarayev State Chamber Orchestra, the Canadian Chamber Orchestra, the New Munich Orchestra, the State Academic Chamber orchestra of Novosibirsk Philharmonia, headed by famous conductors T. Currentzis, R. Abdullayev, M. Emelyanychev, A. Skoryer, T. Geokchayev, E. Quliyev, and others.

As a pianist, he has been a participant in such music festivals as the Niagara Music Festival (Canada), Diaghilev Festival (Russia), Primavera Classica Festival (Russia), Music ark project by V. Martinov (Russia), a Summer jazz festival in the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the U. Hajibayli International festival (Azerbaijan), Caspian Jazz and Blues Festival, International Baku Jazz Festival (Azerbaijan), the International music festival in Gabala (Azerbaijan), Electro Jazz Festival in Electrotheatre named after Stanislavsky and others.

His performances have been broadcast on television and radio in Russia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Belgium and the U.S., and other countries.

Riad has extensive teaching experience. He is also an author of a number of scientific articles on the classification of genres in Azerbaijan's modern music.