Norwegian Minister for Culture and Church Affairs Valgerd Svarstad Haugland is scheduled to visit Baku on November 23-26 on the invitation of her Azerbaijani counterpart Polad Bulbuloghlu. Issues related to expansion of cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Norway will be discussed during the visit. The Norwegian Minister is also expected to get familiar with cultural and historical monuments of Baku and visit several regions of the country.... читать

Renowned mugham master and singer Alim Gasimov is going to leave for France. Her will give concerts in several cities of France from November 21 till December 4, the singer’s family told AssA-Irada. Gasimov will be accompanied by a mugham-trio during the concerts.... читать

Hand works by blind children and schoolchildren from Baku will be shown in an exhibition entitled “Origami” due to open at the Center of Miniature Art on November 11. More than 300 paper items and animals designed by about 100 children will be displayed in the show, the “Origami” Child and Teenager Public Association told AssA-Irada. The exhibition to last till November 15 will be organized within the “Let’s create world from paper” project with the financial support from the World Bank, the E...... полностью

Austrian conductor Carnelia fon Kerssenbrofk is scheduled to visit Baku shortly. He will conduct a concert presented by the State Symphonic Orchestra at the State Philharmony on November 12. Cellist Sergey Slabachevski of St. Petersburg will perform western music in solo at the concert, the Philharmony told AssA-Irada. Works by Mendelson, Dvorzhak and Braumen will be played. This will be the second visit by the Austrian conductor to Azerbaijan.... читать

Legendary opera vocalist Montserrat Caballe visiting Azerbaijan gave a lesson to young vocalists at the Azerbaijan State Philharmony on Wednesday. She said after listening to four Azeri vocalists that they are talented, but pointed out they need to continue learning. Caballe was particularly impressed with the talent of Dinara Aliyeva, a student of the renowned singer Khuraman Gasymova, and stood while listening to the singer. “Your place is at the opera stage”, Caballe said and invited Gasymov...... полностью

Artist Shohrat Nadiroghlu will present his first personal exhibition at the Vajiha Samadova exhibition hall on Wednesday. About 100 colored paintings by the artist will be displayed in the 10-day show to be organized by the Union of Artists and the “Gala” picture gallery. Nadiroghlu is a student of Azerbaijan’s renowned artist Tahir Salahov.... читать

Israeli pianist, famous jazzman Leonid Ptashka will visit Azerbaijan on November 25, the Israeli embassy in Baku told AssA-Irada. Ptashka will give a concert at the Azerbaijan State Philharmony after Muslum Magomayev. He will perform pieces of popular European jazz music. Ptashka, who was born in Baku in 1964, is a citizen of Israel. He has toured many world countries and won a number of jazz contests. Ptashka is also known as a host of a talk show on Israeli television.... читать

A personal exhibition of renowned artist Mais Aliyev, a member of the Union of Artists, will open at the “Absheron” picture gallery on November 9. About 50 graphical works, including paintings devoted to the Garabagh conflict and seasons, as well as those on the theme of “Adam and Eve” will be displayed in the show to be organized on the initiative of the gallery. The opening of the exhibition to last till November 25 will be attended by representatives of foreign embassies, prominent artists ...... полностью

The opening ceremony of a one-week exhibition entitled “In the mirror of Guran art” was organized by the Iranian Embassy Culture Center in Azerbaijan at the Akhundov Library “Iran and Azerbaijan” friendship hall on Friday. The Iranian Ambassador in Baku Afshar Suleymani said the exhibition serves to further strengthening of the relations between and Azerbaijan and Iran and that the Iranian Embassy has organized similar shows in 16 countries to date. Iran’s Calligraphy Society and the Cultural ...... полностью

A news conference dedicated to opening of the 4th international audio-visual festival in Baku was held at the Nizami cinema on Tuesday. Different kinds of films will be shown within the festival that brought together filmmakers from various world countries. Winners of the contest will be awarded a bronze “Golden Fairy” statuette designed by honored arts figure, artist Arif Maharramov. According to head of the event, renowned film director Ayaz Salayev, some changes have been made in the progr...... полностью

Honored artist Farman Gulamov will open his personal exhibition at the Sattar Bahlulzada exhibition hall on Friday. Gulamov will also present a catalogue of his about 40 works in the show organized by the “Gala” picture gallery of the Culture Department of Baku. More than 100 works by the artist, including landscapes, philosophic compositions and portraits, will be displayed in the week-long exhibition dedicated to the 6-year anniversary of the gallery. Gulamov is the head teacher of the Azerb...... полностью

8-year-old artist's world of colors Nazrin Mammadova, 8, is distinguished with her inborn talent among many children of the same age. Nazrin got interested in painting when she was only three. The young artist has presented two personal exhibitions over the last five years. I became acquainted with Nazrin in the opening ceremony of her second exhibition at the Center of Miniature Arts in Icheri Sheher (Old City) last week. Nazrin is in the 3rd grade at secondary school No.134 and has been ...... полностью

The Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater will open its 96th season with the «Koroghlu» opera by Uzeyir Hajibayov on September 19, a source from the Theater told AssA-Irada. Ulvi Gilinj, who was successful in the world championship on stage arts held recently in the USA, will play as Koroghlu, while young vocalist Ilaha Afandiyeva will act as Nigar. For many years, the Theater has opened its seasons with the «Koroghlu» opera. However, the play has been withdrawn from the Theater’s repertoi...... полностью

A roundtable dedicated to the status of carpet weaving in the country was held at the Baku Business Center on Friday. The event was organized by the Union of Merchants and Producers (UMP). Addressing the roundtable, UMP chairman Sevgim Rahmanov said that unknown carpets imported from a number of countries, in particular, from Iran are sold in Azerbaijan. He noted that this was caused by an inefficient state control over the import of carpets. Then speaking Kamil Aliyev, chairman of the Azerkha...... полностью

A week-long exhibition of children’s art works will be held at the Sattar Bahlulzada Exhibition Hall on June 1 on the occasion of the International Day of Children. A source from the Hall told AssA-Irada that the show would display water-color pictures designed by children aged between six and twelve.* ... читать

The first international conference dedicated to the Convention on stolen or illegally removed cultural riches will be held at the Azerbaijan State Museum of Carpet and Applied Arts on June 9. A source from the Museum told AssA-Irada that an Interpol representative, Jean-Pierre Juan, would visit Baku to attend the conference. He is also expected to deliver a report on the topic at the event. The conference will be organized by the Ministry of Culture and the National Committee of the Internati...... полностью

Azerbaijantelefilm Production Association is shooting a documentary on prominent Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibayov. The association told AssA-Irada that the film will feature the memories of various composers about Hajibayov’s life and creative activity. Interesting archive materials will also be used during the shootings. The script of the documentary directed by Elchin Musaoglu is Kamil Shahverdiyev, and director of photography is Elkhan Nabiyev.* ... читать

The Institute of Manuscripts named after Mahammad Fuzuli under Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences has published the first volume of a book, Researches into Dada Omar Rovshani’s manuscripts, by Azada Musayeva, PhD in Philology. The book is dedicated to the life and creative activity of renowned poet Dada Omar Rovshani of the 15th century. The publication includes lyric folk poems of the poet.* ... читать

A play based on “The Cherry Orchard” novel by Russian writer Anton Chekhov is scheduled to be premiered at Baku Chamber Theatre in the second half of March. The theatre told AssA-Irada that Shovgu Huseynov, Leyli Valiyeva and Irada Rashidova would play leading parts in the play staged by People’s Artist Irina Perlova.* ... читать

A concert of Egyptian and Azerbaijani folklore songs is scheduled to be held at the Theatre of Songs named after Rashid Behbudov on Friday. Students-musicians will perform at the concert dedicated to the commencement of cooperation between the Egyptian Cultural Centre and the National Conservatoire. Zemfira Huseynova, head of the department of international relations at the Conservatoire, told AssA-Irada that the cooperation would continue with exchange of teachers and students. Moreover, Ho...... полностью

The Azerbaijan National Cultural Olympic Committee (ANCOC) newly founded with support from the Greek embassy in Baku held a meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Wednesday. Greek Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mercourios Karafotias said that preparations for the 28th Summer Olympics to be held in Athens, Greece in 2004 are underway in different world countries. Stressing that the Cultural Olympics will also be organized jointly with Sports, Karafotias noted that cultures of all the nations would b...... полностью

Renowned mugham singer Alim Gasimov, People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, is scheduled to give a concert in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) late in February. The Ministry of Culture told AssA-Irada that the concert to be held in Abu Dhabi would be organized by the UAE Ministry of Culture. Gasimov, who has made the Azerbaijani national music famous in a number of world countries, will perform mughams at the event. A series of events on the Azerbaijani culture and arts are planned to be held in the ...... полностью

The Baku Big Band with guest soloist and conductor Ernest Hammes is scheduled to perform in Baku Jazz Center on January 26. Ernie Hammes, the lead trumpeter with the Maynard Ferguson Band, will make his second visit to Baku. The year-round educational and concert activities of the Baku Big Band are organized by American Voices and are sponsored by Unocal, Garadagh Cement, ChevronTexaco, British Airways, Bakcell, Baku Jazz Center and the U.S. embassy in Baku. The concert is the third project...... полностью

Alim Gasimov, renowned Azerbaijani mugham singer, is scheduled to give a concert in France on Friday. Noting that the European countries show great interest in Azerbaijani mughams, the singer told AssA-Irada that he would perform folk songs and mughams in several cities of France. Gasimov said that he would pay his next visit to Spain this May. The mugham master, who has repeatedly received invitations from this country, noted that if the visit took place, he would give a solo concert jointly...... полностью

On Monday President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on publication of the multi-volume Azerbaijan National Encyclopedia (ANE) in 2004-2008. The presidential decree reads that the Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia published from 1976 to 1987 was the first fundamental publication covering all spheres of knowledge and information in the history of Azerbaijan. “As the country has regained its independence there is great necessity of compiling and publishing a new encyclopedia with a Latin script which...... полностью

The Rashid Behbudov Foundation is going to release a CD on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the “Arshin Mal Alan” operetta. Kamil Shahverdiyev, Director of the Foundation, told AssA-Irada that the CD entitled “Arshin malchi” will include arias by Asgar, the key part in the operetta, in the performance of renowned vocalist Rashid Behbudov in the Persian, Indian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese and Georgian languages. Rashid Behbudov was one of the best players of Asgar’s part in the first ope...... полностью

Works by best car lover-photographers to be awarded An undertaking dedicated to the results of a contest “Automobile is my life” held in November will be arranged at the Exhibition Hall after Vajiha Samadova on December 16. The Union of Azerbaijani Photographers told AssA-Irada that more than forty winner works would be displayed in the event. Moreover, photographers expressing their best “love” for automobiles will be awarded.* ... читать

The Days of Swiss Films will be for the first time held at the House of Filmmakers in Baku from November 20 to 26. The Senior Film Department under the Culture Ministry told AssA-Irada 11 films would be demonstrated at the event to be held within the framework of Swiss program, Avanti, intended for the South Caucasus countries. 3 screen-scripts selected at a contest held in Azerbaijan among local script-writers last year under Avanti program are being screened with financial support from Switze...... полностью

Alim Gasimov, world famous mugham singer, will leave for Morocco on November 18 to give solo concerts in the major cities of this country – Casablanca, Rabat, Tancep and Tetuanda. Gasimov told AssA-Irada that Malik Mansurov (tar player), Rauf Ismayilov (kamancha player) and Natig Shirinov (percussion instrument) would accompany him in a week-long tour. The singer plans to perform Azerbaijani folk songs and mughams in the concerts to be organized by Pan-Production Co. of France and Morocco’s maj...... полностью

The “Bayati-Kurd” mugham-play will be premiered at the Mugham Theater on November 15. The Theater told AssA-Irada the play based on Bayati-Kurd mugham, the most difficult Azerbaijani mugham, had been staged by Arif Gaziyev. The soloists of the Theater will perform the parts of mugham in the play with musical supervisor Agajabrayil Abbasaliyev. The key objective of presenting the national music as a play is to assist its better assimilation by foreigners.* ... читать