A concert marking the 140th anniversary of the outstanding composer, musicologist-scientist, playwright and teacher, founder of Azerbaijani professional music Uzeyir Hajibayli was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center operating at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Uzbekistan and the Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Theatre, the concert brought together Azerbaijani artists and Uzbek musicians.

Addressing the audience, Fariz Mammadov, Counselor of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uzbekistan, said that this year, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an Order on the celebration of the 140th birth anniversary of the prominent Azerbaijani composer, founder of the first opera in the East Uzeyir Hajibayli, which once again reaffirms the country’s enduring admiration for the great composer. According to him, Uzeyir Hajibayli’s opera “Koroglu”, the operettas “O olmasin, bu olsun” (If not that one, then this one) and “Arshin mal alan” (The Cloth Peddler), along with his groundbreaking composition “Leyli and Majnun”—the first opera in the Muslim East—are considered the pinnacles of Azerbaijani national music.

Akif Marifli, Director of the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center, described Uzeyir Hajibayli as one of the personalities who left an indelible mark on the history of Azerbaijani culture with his multifaceted creativity. “Uzeyir Hajibayli, the founder of the Azerbaijani school of composition, was an innovative artist who enriched the national musical heritage with rare forms and genres, contributing profoundly to the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan and the entire Turkic world," he added.

The two-hour concert, held under the baton of Mustafa Mehmandarov — conductor of the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibayli — commenced with the overture from Uzeyir Hajibayli's famous opera "Koroglu."

The concert featured performances by soloists of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theatre Nigar Jafarova, Atesh Garayev, as well as People's Artist of Uzbekistan Samandar Alimov and soloist Malika Normatova.

The program also showcased notable pieces by Muslim Magomayev, Soltan Hajibayov, Fikrat Amirov and Suleyman Yudakov.

Among the attendees of the musical festival were employees of the Azerbaijani embassy and the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center, Uzbek scientists, cultural and artistic figures, music enthusiasts, as well as public representatives.