Our interviewer is a well-known composer, People's Artist, Professor Faig Sujaddinov
- Teacher Faig, next month there will be a big concert of your works in the Heydar Aliyev Palace. How are the preparations going?
- On March 27, we will have a great concert at the Heydar Aliyev Palace. There I wrote "Shusha", "Victory", "Great leader" requiem, "I am Azerbaijani", "Motherland ballad", etc. my works will be performed.
The point is that during the 44-day war, I was very excited like everyone else. On the one hand, I feel a deep sense of pride due to the valor of the brave sons who took back our lands at the cost of their blood and lives, but at the same time, I was very disappointed to hear the sad news about the martyrdom of our soldiers who died in heavy battles at the front. Khudayar's famous performance made me cry as a child, and after a few days I was shocked to hear that he was martyred.
Thanks to God, our National Army won a historic victory. As a composer in those days, I thought I should write monumental works worthy of this great triumph. I worked day and night, in fact, music itself flowed into my heart like pure spring water. It was a real miracle, all I had to do was transcribe those melodies.
-Televisions also often play your works dedicated to Zafar...
- At first, I presented one of my works glorifying our great Victory to the management of Public Television, thankfully they accepted it with pleasure. They said that we need just such a work. It was televised on the anniversary of our victory and was well received by the music community.

Then I wrote "Shusha oratorio". One evening, I called the young singer Miralam Miralamov, he came and sang the "Azan" part of the work very beautifully with his pleasant voice, and I put his voice at the beginning of the oratorio.
Last year, our nation celebrated the 100th anniversary of its genius son Heydar Aliyev with great appreciation. "Requiem", which I dedicated to the dear memory of the great leader, was also taken to my heart. After completing these and other musical compositions, I met with the Minister of Culture and expressed my desire to give a big concert. Thus, the "Victory Concert" in the Heydar Aliyev Palace was approved.
-- Mr. Faig, before the interview, I got acquainted with your biography again on the Internet. You have led an interesting life and creative path. I would like you to brief the readers on this…

- After graduating from the piano class of the music school in 1969, Tofig Ahmadov, head of the Variety Orchestra of the Azerbaijan State Radio and Television Committee, invited me to work as a pianist. At the same time, I entered the Azerbaijan Institute of Pedagogical Languages. I was the leader of the orchestra of the institute, we gave concerts. After graduating from the institute and returning from the military, I entered the conservatory.
I studied composition there. I wrote a piano concerto as my thesis. Our great composer, People's Artist, the late Covdat Hajiyav praised me a lot for this work, even hugged and kissed me.
Then I worked as the director and artistic director of the Song Theater, artistic director and chief conductor of the Estrada Symphony Orchestra.
-- You have been engaged in pedagogical activity for a long time. You worked in North Cyprus for a while, didn't you?
- I have worked there for 7 years, so far my relations with my Turkish brothers have not been broken. Although the musical traditions of Cyprus are not as rich as ours, they attach great importance to the development of this field. I tried my best to develop professional music there, and I worked productively. "Atatürk" poem, works for chamber orchestra, romances, etc. in Cyprus. i wrote

I returned to my homeland in 2003. I taught composition and directing at Baku University of Culture and Arts for 17 years and received a professorship. The students I taught are now more involved in directing, because my main task there was to explain to the students the unity of directing and music.
- Let's admit that it is your songs that make you more popular and known to a wide audience. Don't sound like a compliment, you have a lot of heartwarming songs...
- I have loved writing songs throughout my composing career. As they say, this is my instinct. Yes, I have many songs.
I wrote this song back in 1984:

The wind touched the leaves, the song landed on the lips...

- I turned and looked far away, I saw you...
 Do you see I remember? Many people know this song by heart even today...

- I didn't say that, so it's a good song that you remember. It will remain after 100 years, maybe someday they will call it a folk song, maybe they will forget its author, but the song will live on. Time destroys everything, only the good ones remain.
Today he is writing a stand-up song. I think that everyone should do their own thing, then everything falls into place. You can't write a song without knowing music. You can write, and the audience will like it for a while, but you can't continue, because if you don't have a basic education, you will repeat yourself.
- People's artist Ilhama Guliyeva played your songs with great enthusiasm. Which singers do you prefer to work with today?

- Mrs. Ilhama, she was very interested in my creativity. He didn't just play the song, he tried to convey the melody to the audience with great enthusiasm. Many of my songs were loved by him...
I still have close creative ties with many talented singers today. In recent years, the young, talented singer Zamiq performed many of my new songs. He is also a very professional performer. He also sings every song by heart.
What is your biggest dream as a professional composer today?
- It is not hidden from God, but why did I hide it from my servant. I want to write a great opera - "Azerbaijani opera". A work that reflects our national music, our words, ourselves, our soul, and our thoughts. Let it be heard from the first note of this piece that it was created by an Azerbaijani composer, let it be felt that this is the path started by the great Uzeyir Bey.
Every nation has its own color, shades, traditions, they will all take their place in that opera. Azerbaijani music has a special place in the pantheon of world music. It is extremely important to continue and develop these traditions. In short, there are many dreams and plans.
-Finally, it would be nice to hear your wishes and recommendations for the readers of XQ...
- As an Azerbaijani composer, I can say that great attention is paid to music and culture in our country. As a result of President Ilham Aliyev's care, great successes have been achieved in this field.

Our people are proud of historical victories. We are all happy and proud that our sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully guaranteed. It is possible to create beautiful works inspired by it.
My wish and advice to the readers of "People's newspaper", as well as to all music lovers, is that they should not be satisfied with listening only to songs and classifications, pop samples, and not to remain indifferent to our classical music. As they say, let us composers write, create, let our people enjoy, only real art can be enjoyed.
He recorded the conversation:
Ramila KURBANLI

XQ