The 5th International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival solemnly opened in Baku

The 5th International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival was solemnly opened at the Heydar Aliyev Palace in Baku, December 4.

The art director of the Festival, co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation is Olga Rostropovich.

Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev and President of Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation Olga Rostropovich delivered speeches in the opening ceremony of the Festival.

Abulfas Garayev said that the aim of the Festival is to organize performances of prominent art masters in Rostropovich`s motherland.

“This international festival initiated by First Lady of Azerbaijan, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Mehriban Aliyeva is held as a music holiday every December in Baku,” Garayev added. The seven-day Festival brings together prominent musicians and music bands from various countries of the world.

According to Olga Rostropovich, holding international music festivals in Baku was her father`s wish and this tradition started in 2006 with a festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich.

The Mstislav Rostropovich Festival has been held since 2007 at the best concert halls and theatres in Baku and brings together eminent performers from different countries. The key concept of the event is the high quality of every performance.

“I will always be grateful to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva for the organization of the first festival in the memory of my father in Baku,” Olga Rostropovich said.

The Festival, which features performance of Rostropovich’s young successors as well, will be culminated with the performance of the Paris Chamber Orchestra conducted by Lawrence Foster.

The Flemish Opera’s Symphony Orchestra performed world classic music in the opening ceremony of the Festival. The Chief Conductor and Art Director of the Orchestra is Dmitri Yurowski and soloist is Georg Nigl from Austria.