In Vienna, the capital of Austria, the second international piano competition titled “Sounds of the Land of Fire” dedicated to the 140th anniversary of Uzeyir Hajibayli, the founder of Azerbaijani classical music and the composer of the first opera in the East has concluded.

The competition was held with the support of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan, organized by the Azerbaijani Academic Association in Austria, and in partnership with the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Vienna.

The director of this large-scale project is Sahila Rzazadeh, the head of the Azerbaijani Academic Association. Abuzer Manafzadeh (competition advisor), Sabina Rzazadeh (arts advisor), Ramazan Nabiyev (deputy and IT advisor), Elchin Baghirov (financial advisor), and Raul Mammadzadeh (assistant for cooperation with cultural institutions) played a significant role in the implementation of the program.

The final stage of the international piano competition was held in the Imperial Hall of the Fortepiano Gallery in the center of Vienna, while the laureates’ gala concert took place at the Azerbaijan Cultural Center.

Leyla Gasimova, Director of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center, expressed her pride in hosting the gala concert of this prestigious event. She highly appreciated that the competition was held for the second time and dedicated to the anniversary of the great composer Uzeyir Hajibayli.

Sahila Rzazadeh, the head of the Azerbaijani Academic Association, emphasized that the participants demonstrated both talent and courage. She expressed her gratitude to the partners, supporters, and jury members who contributed to the success of the event.

The Chair of the Jury, People's Artist and Professor Farhad Badalbayli, wished the competition continued success in the coming years, noting its special significance in discovering young talents.

During the competition, young pianists from various countries drew on the rich musical heritage of renowned Azerbaijani composers such as Gara Garayev, Jovdat Hajiyev, Ashraf Abbasov, Tofiq Guliyev, Galib Mammadov, Farhad Badalbayli, and others.

According to the jury's decision, Eunseon Ahn (South Korea, 27) was awarded First Prize Laureate; Nanase Kuroki (Japan, 29) and Naoe Sasaki (Japan, 24) were awarded Second Prize Laureates, and Hidayat Sadigbayli (Azerbaijan, 21) and Tomiris Bekturova (Kazakhstan, 25) were awarded Third Prize Laureates.

23-year-old Czech musician Daniel Boura received a special award for his masterful performance of Azerbaijani composers Ashraf Abbasov’s “Folk Song” (6 miniatures) and “Humoresque”, as well as Jovdat Hajiyev’s “Joke” and “Fairy Tale”.

You can find more details about the competition at the link below:

www.lofmc.com