BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 12. A gala concert
for the International Composers’ Competition, organized by the
Society for National Music and Global Culture based in New York
City, took place in New York.


This was reported by the State Committee of the Republic of
Azerbaijan for Work with the Diaspora.


Meanwhile, it was noted that the event took place with the
support of the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for
Diaspora Affairs at the world-famous Lincoln Center in New
York.


The evening was attended by representatives of the Permanent
Missions of Azerbaijan and Türkiye to the UN, diplomats, art
lovers, and members of the local community.


At the competition’s final concert, which featured composers
from various countries, new works inspired by the musical heritage
of the Turkic peoples were performed. The presentation of
traditional music combined with contemporary compositional
approaches delighted the audience.


Nargiz Aliyarova, Founder and President of the National Music &
Global Culture Society, Honored Artist, and renowned pianist,
performed works by Gara Garayev and Fikrat Amirov, two outstanding
representatives of the Azerbaijani school of composition. Her
performance was met with great interest and applause.







In her speech, Nargiz Aliyarova noted that the competition was
created to introduce and promote Azerbaijani music around the
world. She emphasized that over time, the scope of the project has
expanded to include the musical heritage of other Turkic peoples.
She noted that the competition encourages composers from different
countries to draw upon this musical heritage and creates an
opportunity to bring it to an international audience through new
compositions.


According to the jury’s decision, first place went to Şafak
Alıcıoğlu from Türkiye, second place to Federico Beilinson from
Argentina, and third place to Xun Wang from China. The winners were
awarded certificates and cash prizes.


Federico Beilinson and Xun Wang, the winners of the competition,
delivered speeches and shared their impressions of the event and
the competition.


As part of the gala concert, the “Critics’ Choice Award,”
established by the Itzhak Mavashev Foundation, was also presented.
The award, given for contemporary compositions that vividly reflect
national and cultural identity, was presented to Rovshan Nepesov, a
composer from Turkmenistan.

The cash prize of $500 was presented by the foundation’s executive
director, music critic, and editor-in-chief of The Bukharian Times,
Rafael Nektalov.