The 9th Moscow International Arts Festival "Sounds of Dutar" named after Nury Khalmamedov concluded with a grand gala concert at the Museum and Exhibition Complex of the Russian Academy of Arts and the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery. The week-long marathon, which ran from October 27, concluded with the summing up of the festival's music competition, which received over 100 applications from the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, Uzbekistan, Guatemala, and Turkmenistan.

The large-scale series of events was dedicated to two important dates: the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the International Year of Peace and Trust.

The festival has traditionally become a venue for discovering new talent in two key areas: a competition for musicians performing classical music based on ethnocultural traditions and a recitation competition, "Universe of the Word."

The multinational jury, chaired by artistic director and composer Mamed Guseynov, included prominent experts, professors, honored artists, and international competition laureates, including Evgeniy Volkov (GITIS), Anna Grechishkina (Helikon Opera), Professor Olga Morozova, Leonora Dmiterko (Mosconcert), Russian Federation Presidential Prize laureate Vyacheslav Chayran, and others.

The success of the Turkmen participants (students from the Children's Art School, the Ovezov State Musical School, and the Maya Kulieva Turkmen National Conservatory) confirmed the high level of the national music school. The following were the winners in their categories:

Vocals

First-Degree Laureates: Aylar Arnageldieva and Selbi Imamova (Turkmenistan, Senior Age Category);

Second-Degree Laureates: Umit Torayev (Turkmenistan, 10-12 Year Old Category), Aidzheren Abdyllaeva, Ykhlas Velikhanov, and Mukhammetaly Mukhammedov (Turkmenistan, Senior Age Category);

Special prizes and jewelry awards were awarded to:

The Maya Kulieva Special Prize – Ksenia Voloshina (Russia); The Medeniet Shakhberdyeva Special Prize went to Talli Lopez Eunice Abigail (Guatemala);

The Audience Choice Special Prize went to Lada Norden and Alisa Zhilina (Russia);

The Murad Sadykov Special Prize for the performance of a military song went to Mark Yagneshko (Russia).

Bowed String Instruments

The Grand Prix and annual scholarship from the Foundation for the Development of Science and Innovation was awarded to Kristina Zaskanova (Russia, 13-14 age category).

First Place Laureate: Guvanch Saryev (Turkmenistan, double bass, 18+ age group).

Second Place Laureate: Milara Takhyrjanova (Turkmenistan, 10-12 age category).

Third Place Laureates: Asal Aylyeva and Aylar Rustamova (Turkmenistan, 13-14 age category)

Piano

First Place Winner: Nazar Reyimov (Turkmenistan, 13-14 age group).

Second Place Winners: Aynur Kabulova, Aygozel Nurmammedova, and Ogulnyazik Rakhmanova (Turkmenistan, 18+ age group).

Third Place Winner: Kerimberdi Mamedov (Turkmenistan, 15-17 age group).

Diploma Winner:

Amina Babaeva (Turkmenistan), Junior Age Group (10-12 years).

The "Sounds of Dutar" festival features more than just competitions; it also offers an extensive educational and scientific program. The Russian State Library hosted the International Scientific and Practical Conference "The Face of War in the Mirror of Art." In a hybrid format, faculty from leading Russian art universities, as well as experts from the Turkmen National Conservatory named after Maya Kulieva and the Turkmen State Institute of Culture, discussed the challenges of preserving historical memory and developing fundamentally new approaches to the concepts of heroism and patriotism.

The marathon included a recitation competition, "Universe of the Word," with a special focus on ethnocultural traditions.

The series of events concludes with the art exhibition "Palette of the World," which opened on November 6 at the Center for Oriental Literature of the Russian State Library and runs until November 14.

Dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust, the exhibition features works by renowned artists whose work, according to the organizers, "erases the boundaries between peoples, giving them the opportunity to engage in dialogue in the universal language of creativity." The exhibition serves as a visual reflection of the ideas of peace and creativity that permeated the entire festival.

At the conclusion of the festival, its artistic director, Mamed Guseynov, shared an emotional video message with us, expressing his deep satisfaction that everything that was planned had been realized.

He thanked all the organizers and participants, and particularly recognized the Zurab Tsereteli Gallery, to whose memory the gala concert was dedicated. In memory of this outstanding artist and great friend of the festival, Mamed Guseynov was presented with miniature copies of Tsereteli's famous Diptych dedicated to Christopher Columbus. The diptych, consisting of monuments "The Birth of a New Man" (Seville, Spain) and "The Birth of the New World" (Puerto Rico), symbolizes the beginning and end of the great voyage.

Addressing the young laureates and participants of the competition, and all creative people, the artistic director wished everyone to be like Columbus – to believe in themselves and discover new lands, horizons, and spaces. This powerful metaphor became an inspiring coda to the entire festival, a call, like the great navigator, to embrace the unknown, to seek uncharted creative paths, and to build bridges between cultures, based on the power of tradition and faith in the all-conquering power of art.

ORIENT