On April 1st, a magnificent concert dedicated to the symphonic works of People's Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan, composer Eldar Mansurov, was held at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), one of Istanbul's leading art venues.
The concert took place within the framework of the “Symphonic Engravings” project, authored by the composer. The project is a special musical series where works created in different years are presented based on a unified artistic concept. Like engravings, each work expresses a distinct image and emotion, together creating a complete and rich musical landscape. One of the main features of the project is the renewal of the program at each presentation. At the Istanbul concert, 14 works were performed within this series, and the program covered various stages of the composer's creativity. The “Symphonic Engravings” project has previously been successfully presented in Baku, Budapest, and Rome, and has been met with great interest by international audiences. The symphonic works at the concert were performed by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Orchestra. The orchestra was conducted by Fuad İbrahimov, artistic director and principal conductor of the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra. World-renowned tenor Yusif Eyvazov, soprano Hale Soner, as well as one of Turkey's most famous and beloved artists, Levent Yüksel, performed during the evening. One of the most memorable moments of the concert was the performance of the composer's globally recognized work, “Bayatılar”.
This work, known as “Zalim” in Turkey, was performed by Levent Yüksel, becoming the culmination of the evening and was met with great enthusiasm by the audience, leading to prolonged applause. At the end of the concert, Eldar Mansurov came on stage and expressed his sincere gratitude to the audience who attended the event. Eldar Mansurov's music, the unity of national intonations with symphonic music, was met with great interest by the Istanbul audience. Throughout the concert, a highly emotional atmosphere prevailed in the hall, and at the end of the program, the audience invited the performers back to the stage with prolonged applause. This concert held in Istanbul not only served as further confirmation of international interest in Eldar Mansurov's work but also remained a significant event contributing to the further strengthening of cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey.