As part of the state policy to support young talents, the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan held its annual competition among graduates of the country’s music schools—“Ýaş zehin” (“Young Talent”). Around 140 young musicians from all velayats of the country took part in the contest, competing in categories such as piano, string, percussion, and wind instruments, as well as national instruments, the art of bakhshi performance, vocal art, and choreography.

Participants from Ashgabat and the Ahal velayat performed in person, demonstrating their ability to maintain composure and mastery of their instruments in a live stage setting. Meanwhile, contestants from remote regions were offered a remote format of participation, submitting video recordings of their performances for the jury’s evaluation. The contestants’ skills were assessed by leading instructors from the Turkmen National Conservatory named after Maya Kuliyeva and the Specialized Boarding Music School affiliated with the conservatory.

The competition revealed new talents in the categories of folk, national, percussion instruments, and choreography. The largest number of awards was won by this year’s graduates of Ashgabat Children’s Music School No. 1. Among them were prize winners in the vocal category Shirin Jumayeva, pianist Tylla Shirova, and violinist Aida Mammedova.

The event concluded with a gala concert featuring the winners of the competition. The jury noted that the contest demonstrated the high potential of young performers. For each participant, taking part in the competition became an important stage in their professional development.