The gala concert of the International Composition Competition organized by the Society for National Music and Global Culture, based in New York City, has been held at the world-renowned Lincoln Center in New York with the support of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The event was attended by representatives of the Permanent Missions of Azerbaijan and Türkiye to the United Nations, diplomats, music enthusiasts and members of the local community, News Cover reports, citing Azerbaijan's State Committee on Work with Diaspora.
The final concert featured new compositions inspired by the musical heritage of Turkic peoples, with composers from various countries participating in the competition. The programme delighted audiences by presenting traditional musical influences through contemporary compositional approaches.
The head of the Society for National Music and Global Culture, Honored Artist and renowned pianist Nargiz Aliyarova, performed excerpts from works by Gara Garayev and Fikret Amirov, two prominent representatives of Azerbaijan’s composition school. Her performance was warmly received and met with enthusiastic applause.
In her address, Aliyarova explained that the competition was initially established to promote Azerbaijani music and raise its international profile. Over time, she noted, the project had expanded to encompass the musical heritage of other Turkic peoples. She emphasized that the competition encourages composers from different countries to draw inspiration from this heritage and creates opportunities to introduce it to international audiences through new compositions.
According to the jury’s decision, Şafak Alıcıoğlu from Türkiye won first prize, Federico Beilinson from Argentina took second place, and Xun Wang from China came third. The winners received diplomas and cash prizes.
Competition winners Federico Beilinson and Xun Wang also addressed the audience, sharing their impressions of the event and the competition.
The gala concert also featured the presentation of the Critics’ Choice Award, established by the Itzhak Mavashev Foundation. The award recognizes contemporary compositions that vividly reflect national and cultural identity. This year, it was presented to Turkmen composer Rovşen Nepesov.
The cash prize of USD 500 was presented by Rafael Nektalov, the Foundation’s executive director, music critic and editor-in-chief of The Bukharian Times.
