CULTURE
Sixth International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival opens in Baku First concert is devoted to Heydar Aliyev, national leader of Azerbaijan
Baku, December 13 (AZERTAC). Opening of the Sixth International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival took place yesterday at the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall named after Muslim Magomayev.
State and government officials, members of the Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis), music lovers and culture industry workers attended the opening ceremony. The photo-exhibition featuring Rostropovich meeting Heydar Aliyev was organized at the lobby of the Hall.
The festival was opened by Abulfas Garayev, minister of culture and tourism of Azerbaijan and Olga Rostropovich, Art director of the Festival, President of Rostropovich Foundation.
Abulfas Garayev emphasized that the overall objective of the festival organized by Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of culture and tourism of Azerbaijan in partnership with Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation, is to organize concerts of outstanding musicians in Baku, homeland of Rostropovich. This year the Festival has coincided with Heydar Aliyev`s commemoration day.
“So we have decided to honor the memory of two great personalities”, the minister said.
The minister emphasized that at the initiative of Ms. Mehriban Aliyeva, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, this Festival is being annually organized in Baku as a truly musical holiday.
The seven-day festival brings together outstanding musicians from Russia, Israel, Great Britain and Germany. The festival will feature Yuri Bashmet and Moscow Soloists chamber ensemble, Zubin Meta and the Israeli philharmonic orchestra, Galina Vishnevskaya`s Opera Center, Maxim Vengerov, Eliso Virsaladze, Natalia Gutman, and others.
President of Rostropovich Foundation Olga Rostropovich said that unlike the previous festivals, this year the project is considerably expanded and should become a top of the recent festivals.
Olga expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijan people and leadership for attention to the memory of her father and invited all Baku residents and city visitors to attend the festival concerts.
The festival has opened with overture from Uzeyir Hajibeyli`s “Koroglu” opera, performed by the Azerbaijan state Children and Youth Symphonic orchestra (conductor - Teymur Goychyaev). By the way, this Orchestra was founded at the initiative of Heydar Aliyev and Mstislav Rostropovich.
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