BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 24. The regular National Mugham Contest has started at Azerbaijan's National Conservatory at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Trend reports.
The first round of the contest, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Education, as well as the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, is being held on April 24-25, the second tour will be held on April 26, and the final concert – on April 30.
The National Mugham Contest is being held in the categories of mugham performance and instrumental performance. The chairman of the jury for instrumental performance is the rector of the National Conservatory, People's Artist Siyavush Karimi, and the jury members are people's artists Fakhraddin Dadashov, Mohlat Muslimov, as well as honored artists Shirzad Fataliyev and Chinara Heydarova.
The chairman of the jury for the performance of mugham is the rector of the National Conservatory, People's Artist Siyavush Karimi, the members of the jury are People's Artists Sakina Ismayilova, Mansum Ibrahimov, Zabit Nabizade, and Honored Artist Gazanfar Abbasov.
On April 26, the winners in both of the categories will be selected. The winners who will take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places will receive 7,000 manat ($4,120), 5,000 manat ($2,940), and 3,000 manat ($1,760) respectively.
The winners of the National Mugham Contest will represent Azerbaijan at the 6th Mugham World International Festival.
In recent years, fundamental work has been done in Azerbaijan to preserve and develop mugham. The support of national culture and mugham provided by the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and the work carried out in this direction resulted in the inclusion of the Azerbaijani mugham in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
Since 2009, on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the National Mugham Contest and the International Mugham Festival have been held. These projects are designed to demonstrate Azerbaijan’s national heritage - mugham in the context of world culture and preserve it for future generations.
