Fidan Hajiyeva shares insight into International Opera Festival

The second International Opera Festival, organized by Fidan Hajiyeva, will take place in Baku on April 23-29.

The event promises to be memorable with vibrant performances of classical art, becoming a grand celebration for opera lovers,

Over seven days, concerts featuring both famous performers and young talents aged 6-16, who will take the stage for the first time, will be held at various venues throughout the capital, said the project organizer, People's Artist Fidan Hajiyeva, in an interview with Trend Life.

Let's remember that the first International Opera Festival, also organized by Fidan Hajiyeva, was successfully held from April 27 to May 3 last year. Throughout that week, works by Azerbaijani classical composers as well as global authors were showcased at various concert venues in Baku and Ganja.

This time, we will kick off the festival on April 23 with a performance of the operetta "Arshin Mal Alan" (The Cloth Peddler) by the great composer Uzeyir Hajibayli at the stage of the Opera Studio of the Uzeyir Hajibayli Baku Music Academy. As is known, the year 2025 has been declared the year of Uzeyir Hajibayli in Azerbaijan. The 140th anniversary of the birth of the great composer, creator of the first opera in the East, founder of contemporary professional musical art in Azerbaijan, outstanding musicologist, talented journalist, playwright, and educator, Academician Uzeyir Hajibayli, is being widely celebrated in the country and abroad. Uzeyir Hajibayli's diverse creativity has left an indelible mark on world history. "Arshin Mal Alan" is one of the musical treasures of our culture. It has been translated into 80 languages and performed in about two hundred theaters across eighty countries.

The version of "Arshin Mal Alan" presented at the festival is a new production that will feature young talents – artists from the opera theater of my Vocal School, who will also perform the leading roles. I will play the role of Jahan Khala, while the role of Veli will be performed by Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Tural Aghasiyev, and the role of Sultanbek will be played by Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Farid Aliyev, who is also the director of the production," said Fidan Hajiyeva.

Performances will also take place on April 24 at the Central Arts School named after Gara Garayev, featuring the "Academy of Arts of the Children of Martyrs" under the direction of Professor Kyonul Guseynova of the Baku Music Academy, the wife of martyr, pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Rashad Atakiyev; on April 25, there will be a performance with the female chamber orchestra MEZZO and young performers at the State Song Theater named after Rashid Behbudov. On April 26, a concert titled "The History of Opera" featuring students from the Vocal School will take place in the "Belcanto" concert hall. On April 27, there will be a performance by People's Artist Gulnaz Ismayilova and young talents, and on April 28, there will be a solo concert titled "Desire" at the Creative Center and a concert "The Future of Opera Art – A New Breath" featuring the chamber orchestra of Khazar University at the Fikret Amirov Conference and Concert Center. Fidan Gadjieva will perform at all events. The closing ceremony will be held on April 29 at the Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall.

"For me, the support of young talents is very important, and this year, there will be more than a hundred of them, including students from the Baku Music Academy, the National Conservatory, Khazar University, and children of employees from the Swedish Embassy. It is noteworthy that this year, the festival will conclude with a gala concert where soloists from the opera theater will sing, and our symphony orchestra will perform under the direction of renowned conductor Boyan Videnov from Germany," added Fidan Gadjieva.

Special websites have been developed for the event for the Vocal Music School of Fidan Gajiyeva (https://musiqimektebi.az/) and the official website of Fidan Gajiyeva (https://fidanhaciyeva.com/). The resources were developed by Turkish specialist Ilgin Kanat from Istanbul, whose maternal ancestors are from the Azerbaijani city of Shamkir. He has worked in Turkiye, Russia, Estonia, and the United Kingdom. They were introduced by Farida Panahova, the head of the Azerbaijanis Society of Britain and the "Garabagh" school in London.

"The websites are designed in three languages - Azerbaijani, Russian, and English- using artificial intelligence. They contain informational materials, photo and video galleries, and various events. In particular, the Vocal Music School's website features interactive information about the school itself, the concert hall, the recording studio, and various activities. In a 3D format, there is an opportunity to take a tour of the school, view the classrooms, and see the learning process. The official website of Fidan Hajiyeva includes a biography, performances and events, information about the music school, a photo gallery, television projects, an opera festival, and other materials related to her long creative career. Mobile versions of the websites have also been created," noted Ilgin Kanat.

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