Shusha hosts opening ceremony of “Kharibulbul” International Music Festival
On May 24, the 8th “Kharibulbul” International Music Festival commenced in the city of Shusha. The event is organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan.
This year’s edition of the festival is dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the birth of the great Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, in accordance with the presidential order signed by President Ilham Aliyev to commemorate Hajibeyli’s jubilee.
The opening concert was held on the Jidir Duzu plain and began with a performance of Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s “Ey Vətən.” In addition to Hajibeyli’s works, compositions by Arif Malikov, Asaf Zeynalli, Afrasiyab Badalbayli, Fikrat Amirov, Gara Garayev, Muslim Magomayev, Niyazi, Ogtay Zulfugarov, and Tofig Guliyev were also performed.
As in previous years, the festival features not only Azerbaijani artists but also music ensembles and solo performers from other countries. One of the festival’s primary goals is to foster cultural dialogue, encourage the exchange of ideas among professionals, and support the creativity of young musicians.
The opening concert included performances by artists from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye.
On May 25, the second day of the festival, a concert by renowned Azerbaijani singer Polad Bulbuloglu will be held on the Jidir Duzu plain, accompanied by the Uzeyir Hajibeyli State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Murtuza Bulbul.
Later that same day, another concert will take place on the Jidir Duzu plain, featuring students from the Faculty of Arts of Garabagh University, who will perform works by Azerbaijani and international composers.
Named after the symbolic flower of Shusha, the “Kharibulbul” Music Festival was first held in 1989. During the years of the Karabakh conflict, major concerts were organized in the cities of Aghdam, Barda, and Aghjabadi. Following Azerbaijan’s historic victory in the Patriotic War, the festival has returned to its original venue—Shusha.
