Yesterday, May 19th, the International Festival "Music of Peace" opened its welcoming embrace under the vaults of the Mukam Palace of the State Cultural Center in Ashgabat. This is not merely a series of artistic performances, but a genuine dialogue of souls, where notes become a universal language, erasing boundaries and forging bridges of mutual understanding between peoples.

The festival is intended to be a hymn to the unifying power of art, demonstrating that in a world with so many differences, music is capable of speaking about the most important things – goodness, beauty, trust, and harmony. Prominent composers, conductors, opera singers, and virtuoso musicians from the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, France, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have graced the stage of Ashgabat. Their presence is a vivid testament to how creativity encourages collaboration and strengthens cultural ties.

The solemn opening gala concert became a symphony of talent and diversity. It featured the State Symphony Orchestra and the State Choir of Turkmenistan, as well as stars of both national and international renown. The evening's program presented a rich variety of world operatic art, including brilliant examples of vocal traditions from various operatic schools. Famous arias from the operas "Aleko" "The Tricks of Maysara" the operetta "Arshin Mal Alan" as well as the immortal works of Nury Halmamedov and other great composers, resonated from the stage. Each piece was not just a performance, but an act of cultural exchange, filled with energy and inspiration.

Today, May 20th, the festival will continue its full program. Creative meetings are planned, where domestic and foreign artists will be able to exchange experiences and ideas, as well as a series of master classes from renowned international artists. These encounters will be an invaluable contribution to the development of young talents and will serve as a source of inspiration for future generations of the country's musicians.

The culmination of the celebration will be a gala concert, where the best domestic and foreign masters of art will meet once again. "Music of Peace" in Ashgabat is more than just a festival; it is a manifesto that in an era of global challenges, art is a powerful instrument of peace, capable of building bridges where only barriers would seem to exist. Ashgabat, having become the center of such a dialogue, once again confirms its role as the capital of a peace-loving state.

ORIENT