The third round of the 9th Bulbul International Vocal Competition has started, Azernews reports.

In this stage, 16 participants will try their skills for the first place.

The participants who performed with the piano accompaniment in the first and second stages will perform with the symphony orchestra in the third stage.

The performances of 16 contenders in the third stage and gala concert will be accompanied by a symphony orchestra conducted by Honored Artists Ayyub Guliyev, Fuad Ibrahimov, Mustafa Mehmandarov and Murtuza Bulbul.

On June 6, the contestants performed with the symphony orchestra of the Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall.

Note that 41 people who passed the second stage of the 9th Bulbul International Vocal Competition tested their skills in front of the jury.

Vocalists performed "Sensiz" and "Sevgili canan", "Country" and "Star" from Bulbul's repertoire as well as romances and arias from world operas approved by the organizing committee. All compositions were performed in the original language.

After the evaluation of the judges, 16 out of 41 participants qualified for the third stage.

Among them are the soloists of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater Mahir Taghizade (baritone) and Atesh Garayev (tenor).

Over 140 vocalists aged 18-36 from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Macedonia and other countries participate in the competition.

The awarding ceremony and the final concert will take place in Shusha on June 9, in the yard of Bulbul's House-Museum.