IN THE NAME OF MUSIC...

"I am from Baku. I was born here. It is home to my friends. Baku is my birthplace, my home..."

Mstislav Rostropovich

Baku turned into a musical capital of the world for six days. From 4 to 10 December, the 5th International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival was held on the best stages of our capital. During these days, Baku brought together musicians from more than 10 countries - France, USA, Belgium, South Korea, Austria, Russia ... Bakuvians and visitors to the capital were delighted with the magnificent performances of the Uzeyir Hacibayov Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra led by Rauf Abdullayev, the Paris Chamber Orchestra, the Symphonic Orchestra of the Nizhniy Novgorod Philharmonic Hall under the direction of Aleksandr Skulskiy, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the violinist Viktor Tretyakov, pianists and soloists of the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre, etc. During the festival, listeners also familiarized themselves with the art of the jazz pianist and composer Luis Bakalov. Together with his jazz band, he performed the programme "Night of Tango".

The opening of the festival, where Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Qarayev and the artistic director of the festival, president of the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation, Olga Rostropovich, spoke, was held at the Heydar Aliyev Palace. According to Qarayev, the main purpose of the festival is to organize performances by world famous musicians in the homeland of Mstislav Rostropovich. The minister noted that the international festival, held every December on the initiative of the first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, goodwill ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, Mehriban Aliyeva, is organized in our capital as a real musical festival. The president of the Rostropovich Foundation, Olga Rostropovich, stressed that the holding of the festival in Baku was her father's dream. Having organized a festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the great Dmitriy Shostakovich here in 2006, he laid the foundation for this good tradition. The International Rostropovich Festival, which has been held in the best concert halls and theatres of Baku since 2007, brings together outstanding performers from various countries. One of its traditions is performances by talented young musicians - successors to the maestro.

The next day of the festival was marked by a magnificent performance by the Flanders Opera Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the artistic director and principal conductor, Dmitriy Yurovskiy. At the concert held at the Heydar Aliyev Palace, works of M. Bruch and Tchaikovsky were played. The soloist was the people's artist of the USSR and Glinka State Prize winner, Viktor Tretyakov (violin). By the way, the Flemish Opera, founded in 1988 on the basis of the Antwerp and Ghent theatres, is the only opera troupe in Belgium funded by the state. Among the most successful projects of the troupe are "Mozart - Da Ponte" and the cycle "The Ring of the Nibelung". Currently, the opera is headed by Abel Kahn. After Dmitriy Yurovskiy was appointed chief conductor of the Flanders Opera Symphony Orchestra and Janice Puspurik was appointed chief choirmaster, a new creative flight began in the life of the troupe. Being one of the organizers of the festival Opera in the 21st Century, the Flemish Opera plans to release CDs and DVDs of the opera "Samson and Delilah", "Jason", "Semiramide" and "Stabat Mater". According to critics, the conductor Yurovskiy has the ability to transmit the innermost thoughts of composers. Born in Moscow, Yurovskiy received his education in his home city, and then in Berlin. Among his best works are his performance in the Teatro Comunale in Bologna with the second and seventh symphonies of Beethoven, works of Respighi, Roth, Hindemith and Kezellan and a performance with the Toscanini Orchestra. Under Yurovskiy's direction, the premiere of the operas "Mazeppa," "Eugene Onegin" and "Enchantress" by P. Tchaikovsky, "Herodias" by J. Massenet and "Aida" by G. Verdi was held. Dmitriy Yurovskiy said in conversation with our correspondent that the name of Rostropovich is known all over the world.

"Wherever you are, in Brazil, Spain or Norway - almost everyone knows about the maestro," the musician said.

The next concert in the festival was held at the Muslim Magomayev State Philharmonic Hall. The Uzeyir Hacibayov Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra performed works of world classics. The soloist was the honoured artist Murad Adigozalzada (piano). The conductor was the Avery Fisher Prize winner, an honorary conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the principal guest conductor of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Ignat Solzhenitsyn. Incidentally, it was Rostropovich who once drew the attention of Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn and Natalia Dmitriyevna to the musical talent of their son. He advised them to find a teacher. Today, Ignat Solzhenitsyn is one of the most talented conductors in the world.

"I am delighted to perform in the homeland of Mstislav Rostropovich. For me, he was not just a great musician, but also a person through whom I discovered my musical talent. And I try to justify his hopes," Solzhenitsyn told our correspondent.

Traditionally, the festival in Baku is attended by young artists, for whom Rostropovich is the idol in their profession. One of these musicians is the young talented violinist from Korea, Soyoung Yoon, whose performance was accompanied with thunderous applause from spectators. The Korean violinist's concert was held on 9 December at the Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall. Soyoung Yoon is the winner of the first prize at the 14th Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland. The girl performed works of the world famous composers Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Qarayev before Baku residents and visitors to the capital, accompanied by the Uzeyir Hacibayov Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra.

"I am delighted with the Baku audience, which, I think, understands and accepts music very subtly. It could not be otherwise, because Rostropovich - a man who lived for music - was born in this city. In addition, Azerbaijan is the birthplace of such outstanding composers as Qara Qarayev, Fikrat Amirov and Uzeyir Hacibayov. Performing works of Qarayev, I get real pleasure - there is power, passion, pressure and harmony in each work. This is great. I would like to say a few words about your hospitable capital - Baku is a beautiful and creative city. And I am pleased that I'm here," the talented violinist said in an interview with R+.

The 5th International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival ended at the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall with a performance by the Paris Chamber Orchestra. The conductor of the concert was Lawrence Foster (USA) and the soloist (piano) - Jean-Yves Thibaudet (France). At the concert, works of Faure, Saint-Saens, Stravinsky and Schubert were performed. The orchestra was founded in 1967 on the initiative of French Minister of Culture Andre Malraux. It was set up by the municipality of Paris and departments of the Paris region with the assistance of the Paris Conservatory Concert Society. The orchestra has about 110 highly skilled musicians who have dedicated themselves to work only in this orchestra, which made it possible to create independent chamber ensembles from its members, who simultaneously give concerts in several concert halls around the world. Performing at the festival, Jean-Yves Thibaudet struck the Bakuvians and guests with his technique of piano playing and emotionality. Jean-Yves Thibaudet began as a prodigy, which is why he managed to record more than 30 discs. The Grammy Award jury awarded him for a collection of works by Ravel. He often performs on television and plays movie soundtracks, and one of them - "Pride and Prejudice" - was nominated for Oscar. In addition, Thibaudet recorded two Schubert improvisations for the film "The Portrait of a Lady" featuring Nicole Kidman. According to Jean-Yves, music, like clothing, should combine three qualities: elegance, charm and poetry. "These are the fundamental properties of French culture in general and the French piano school in particular," he explains.