Azerbaijan launches regular National Mugham Contest at Heydar Aliyev Foundation's initiative [PHOTOS]

The regular National Mugham Contest has started at Azerbaijan's National Conservatory at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

According to Azernews, the first round of the contest, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Education, as well as the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, is being held on April 24-25.

Further, the second tour will be held on April 26, and the final concert – on April 30.

The National Mugham Contest is being held in the categories of mugham and instrumental performances.
The jury of the National Mugham Competition as a whole consists of 9 people, including the chairman.

The national mugham competition is held in the nominations "khanende" and "instrumental performance". In both nominations, the chairman of the jury is Siyavush Kerimi. The jury in the nomination "instrumental performance" includes people's artists Fakhreddin Dadashev and Mokhlat Muslimov, as well as honored artists Shirzad Fataliyev and Chinara Heydarova, in the nomination "khanende" - people's artists Sakina Ismailova, Mansum Ibrahimov and Zabit Nabizade, as well as honored artist Gazanfar Abbasov.

On April 26, the winners in both of the categories will be selected.The chairman of the jury said that the winners who took first, second and third places in the nominations “khanende” and “instrumental performance” will receive a prize of 7,000($4,120), 5,000($2,940) and 3,000($1,760) manats, respectively.

"In addition, the winners of the National Mugham Competition - the winners of the first places in both nominations will represent our country at the VI International Mugham Festival "The World of Mugham,"- he added.

The winners of the National Mugham Contest will represent Azerbaijan at the 6th Mugham World International Festival.

In recent years, fundamental work has been done in Azerbaijan to preserve and develop mugham. The support of national culture and mugham provided by the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and the work carried out in this direction resulted in the inclusion of the Azerbaijani mugham in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

Since 2009, on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the National Mugham Contest and the International Mugham Festival have been held. These projects are designed to demonstrate Azerbaijan’s national heritage - mugham in the context of world culture and preserve it for future generations.