In January 2021, the National Music & Global Culture Society, in collaboration with the Azerbaijan-American Music Foundation, announced the inaugural Hajibeyli International Composition Competition. This initiative aimed to recognize exceptional new full-scale musical works inspired by the compositions of the legendary Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the founder of classical music in Azerbaijan. The competition celebrated the life and influence of Hajibeyli, who was a renowned composer, conductor, publicist, playwright, and social figure.
The response to the call for competition was remarkable, with a total of fifty-one compositions submitted in honor of Hajibeyli’s legendary legacy. An esteemed international jury, featuring prominent composers Reiko Fueting and Niloufar Nourbakhsh from the USA, along with Franghiz Alizadeh from Azerbaijan, worked diligently to select the winners. Below are the names of the award recipients.
The competition attracted participants from 26 countries, including the USA, Canada, Latin America, various Western and Eastern European nations, and several Asian countries. The organizing committee expressed its gratitude to all who entered; Hajibeyli would have been proud!
The award ceremony and gala concert took place on September 23 at 19:00 at the Mugham Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. The gala program featured performances of the winning compositions alongside original works by Hajibeyli. The pieces by the first, second, and third prize winners, as well as those who received Certificates of Achievement, were published in the USA.
Winners:
– First Prize: $2,000 & Award of Excellence – Marius Diaz (Colombia)
– Second Prize: $1,000 & Award of Excellence – Turkar Gasimzada (Azerbaijan)
– Third Prize: $500 & Award of Excellence – Matthew Perrett (United Kingdom)
Certificates of Achievement:
– Galymjan Sekeyev (Kazakhstan)
– Parisa Sabet (Canada)
– Bracha Bdil (Israel)
– Tahir Ibishov (Ukraine/Azerbaijan)
Special Awards:
– Azerbaijan Composers Union Award**: Orkun Tekelioğlu (Turkey)
– The Youngest Composer” Award**: Zarrin Shukur (Azerbaijan)
– Uzeyir Hajibeyli” Award**: Aria Esmaeili Torkanbouri (Austria)
