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First Congress of Turkic World Composers held in Baku - PHOTO - UPDATED

19 September 2026 12:01 (UTC +04:00)

The First Congress of Turkic World Composers has been held as part of the 18th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival, APA reports.

Abdulhakeem Alsenan, Director of ICESCO's Regional Office in Azerbaijan, said that the aim is to build new bridges in the fields of culture and science.

"Uzeyir Hajibeyli is the person who shaped Azerbaijan's modern musical identity. Through his music, he brought together tradition and a new identity. He showed us that culture can both preserve our identity and open new doors for creativity and dialogue. At UNESCO, we deeply believe in the power of culture to unite people. We believe that cultural heritage is not merely a value inherited from the past; it remains an integral part of our identity today, and it is important to preserve it for future generations. We are proud of the strong partnership between UNESCO and the Republic of Azerbaijan. Through UNESCO's regional office in Baku, we are working to strengthen cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan, Central Asia, the Islamic world, and the international community."

Artyk Tokansanbayev, Chairman of the Association of Composers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, stated that a catalogue of contemporary Turkic music should be created.

"The aim here is to bring the works of our composers to the world. Of course, works cannot be copied. Each country has its own legislation and its own approach. We cannot change the rules of the market, but we can change its scale. We must operate on a large scale by cooperating with the world's largest publishing houses, festivals, and professional agencies. This is not something that each composer should have to resolve individually. We must do it together as a professional community representing high-quality, professionally produced music. In this regard, cooperation with music publishers in some cases, international studios in others, or licensing organizations is possible."

The congress continued with discussions on joint projects and prospects for cooperation among Turkic states in the field of music.

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10:13

The First Congress of Turkic World Composers is being held as part of the 18th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival, APA reports.

The congress, held at the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan, is attended by heads of composers' organizations from Turkic states, musicologists, cultural and public figures, and media representatives.

The congress is expected to feature discussions on joint projects and prospects for cooperation among Turkic states in the field of music.