Classical music fest in Gabala, Azerbaijan

The Tenth International Festival of Classical Music has started this week in Gabala, north of Azerbaijan, and will continue until 8 August.

Orchestras, musicians and vocalists from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Israel, USA, Switzerland, Austria, Cuba, Hungary, Turkey, Spain and Italy are on the roster.

Among the participants are the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Cuban instrumental group Jovenes Clasicos del Son, Georgia’s Tbilisi Big Band, the Hungarian Gypsy Band, Spanish conductor and composer Salvador Broughons, the Austrian violinist Nora Romanova-Schwarzberg and others.

Concerts are being held at two venues – the Congress Centre as well as an open-air stage specially set up for the event.

The Gabala festival is held annually in mid or late summer and is organised by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Gilan Holding group.

Gabala is a resort region of Azerbaijan due to its beautiful nature (which include forests, mountains, and waterfalls), an abundance of historical monuments, and state investments. New hotels, entertainment centres and tourist complexes have been built here in the last 10 years. Various festivals and concerts are regularly held here, such as the Veselo International Festival of Humor and Music. The main attraction of Gabala is the ruins of the ancient city of Kabalaka, situated 15 kilometres outside of town. Kabalaka was the capital of Caucasian Albania for 600 years.