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Baku to host 3rd International Rostropovich Festival

18 November 2009 11:08 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ulkar Gasimova â€“ APA. 3rd International Rostropovich Festival will be held in Baku on December 8-14. On Wednesday, Mstislav Rostropovichâ€™s elder daughter, president of the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation and the festival Olga Rostropovich, chief of the art department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Farah Aliyeva and representative of the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation Eliso Chirakadze held a press conference at the Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich House-Museum in Baku. Olga Rostropovich said the festival aims to involve famous art figures to the Rostropovichâ€™s homeland. The festival president said this yearâ€™s festival would be different for its varied program. â€œThe program contains symphonic and chamber music, as well as classic opera pieces. The events will be held at the Azerbaijan National Philharmonic Hall and Heydar Aliyev Palace. The concerts dedicated to the memory of Heydar Aliyev, good friend of Mistislav Rostropovich, are held on December 12, the day of his death, for three years. The concert dedicated to the anniversary of Heydar Aliyevâ€™s death will be organized this year too. Wagner, Mozart and Beethovenâ€™s works will be performed in this concertâ€.

Olga Rostropovich said this year two large orchestras â€“ English Chamber Orchestra and New Russian Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Yuri Bashmet will arrive in Azerbaijan to perform for the first time within the festival.

Farah Aliyeva noted that cellists, who were Mstislav Rostropovichâ€™s students, are also expected to perform in the festival. David Geringas (cell), Pinchas Zukerman (violin), Amanda Forsyth (cell), Philip Kopachevsky (piano), Murad Adigezalzadeh (piano), Samir Jafarov, Elchin Azizov will perform at seven-day festival. World-renowned conductors Yuri Bashmet, Christian Badea, Rauf Abdullayev, Pinchas Zukerman, Paul Watkins, Maxim Vengerov will also participate at the festival. Farah Aliyeva said they were planning to present the festivalâ€™s website as well. The famous musicians are expected to conduct master-classes for the students of Uzeyir Hajibeyli Baku Academy of Music and to meet with young talents at the Rostropovichâ€™s house-museum.

The 3rd International Rostropovich Festival is organized by Mistislav Rostropovich Foundation, Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Ministry of Culture and Tourism.