Ankara hosts grand concert honoring Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s 140th anniversary

In accordance with the decree issued by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on February 3, 2025, the 140th anniversary of renowned Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli (1885–1948) is being marked with a series of events both in Azerbaijan and abroad, Azernews reports.

Hajibeyli, a National Artist, State Prize laureate, academician, musicologist, public intellectual, dramatist, educator, and founder of the first opera in the East, holds a prominent place in Azerbaijani cultural history.

As part of the celebrations, a special concert titled "From Çanakkale to Garabagh: The Epic of Victory" was held in Ankara, Turkiye’s capital.

According to the Ministry of Culture’s Press Service, the event was jointly organized by the Azerbaijani Cultural Center under the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Turkiye and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Opera and Ballet.

The evening featured performances by opera artists from both Azerbaijan and Turkiye. The event opened with the national anthems of the two countries, followed by welcoming speeches from Saadat Yusifova, Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, and Volkan Akkoç, Deputy Director of the Turkish Directorate of Opera and Ballet.

The concert showcased captivating musical performances by People's Artists Azerin and Azer Zeynalov, as well as distinguished Turkish opera singers including Kamil Kaplan, Ç?nar Onur, Güner Erkan, and others.

The event received enthusiastic applause and was warmly welcomed by the audience.