Third Azerbaijan Int'l Vocal Festival wraps up

The 3rd Azerbaijan International Vocal Festival has come to an end. The closing ceremony took place at the Heydar Aliyev Centre, Azernews reports.

A spectacular concert was timed to the 165th birthday of the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.

The concert program "Viva Puccini" featured performances by the symphony orchestra, choir, and soloists of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. The evening opened with a scene from the opera "Turandot," performed by a choir led by Honoured Artist Sevil Hajiyeva

Accompanied by a symphony orchestra conducted by conductor Michelangelo Mazza, specially invited from Italy, People's Artists Azer Zeynalov, Gulnaz Ismayilova, Honored Artists Ramil Gasimov, Ilaha Afandiyeva, Inara Babayeva, Farida Mammadova, Farid Aliyev, Anton Verstandt, Azer Zade, Afag Abbasova, vocalists Adil Akhundov, Mahir Tagizade, Atesh Garayev and special guest Daria Rybak (Switzerland) delighted the audience with arias from operas and romances by Giacomo Puccini. The director of the concert program is Honoured Artist Hafiz Guliyev.

The evening ended with a standing ovation from the audience and a joint performance of the aria Nessun dorma (Let no one sleep) from the last act of the opera Turandot by Giacomo Puccini.

The 3rd Azerbaijan International Vocal Festival was organized by the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater with the support of the Culture Ministry.

The author of the idea and the festival's artistic director is Honoured Artist Ramil Gasimov.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, Milli.Az.