As part of Culture Week 2026 in Turkmenistan, residents of Ashgabat and visitors to the capital were treated to one of the festival's principal cultural events—an opera performance. To mark the occasion, the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theatre staged "Leyli and Mejnun," the opera by Danatar Ovezov and Yuliy Meitus, directed by Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Aynazar Batyrov. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the work's creation, based on national folklore.
Singers and musicians from the Maya Kuliyeva Turkmen National Conservatory and the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theatre combined their talents to create an evening celebrating the highest standards of operatic performance. Before the curtain rose, guests were welcomed in the theatre foyer by an extensive exhibition dedicated to the development of Turkmen theatrical art. The display featured portraits of distinguished theatre figures, stage costumes, scale models of theatrical productions, playbills, opera programs, posters, and numerous other exhibits directly related to the theatrical arts.
Under the baton of conductor Dovletmammet Okdirov, the enchanting melodies of the overture filled the auditorium. As the curtain opened, the audience found themselves in a magnificent garden, where Leyli and Qays anxiously awaited the outcome of the marriage proposal. Their hopes were shattered when Leyli's father appeared. Furious, he denounced Qays with the words, "You are Mejnun—a madman who has violated our customs," and drove the matchmakers from his home.
Thus began one of the most tragic love stories ever told—a tale that has long occupied a cherished place in the cultures of the peoples of the East. On the theatre stage, it unfolded like a finely cut diamond, illuminated by magnificent voices, music, and stage design.
The opera consists of five acts, through which the audience accompanied the characters on their emotional journey. Together with the performers, they traveled to Mecca, wandered with Qays across mountains and deserts, entered Leyli's chamber as she made the heartbreaking decision to take poison rather than marry another man, and finally returned to Mejnun as he learned of his beloved's death. "At last, we shall be together," Mejnun declares before dying. Leyli then appears on stage, takes his hand, and together they walk into eternity.
The audience responded with prolonged applause that grew into a standing ovation. Spectators expressed their gratitude to everyone involved in bringing this remarkable opera to life—a work whose tragic conclusion elevates true love above life itself. Director Aynazar Batyrov came onto the stage after the performance and personally thanked each vocalist whose artistry had contributed to the success of the production.
"I am very pleased with the result," Aynazar Batyrov said in an interview for our newspaper’s readers. "The opera was performed sincerely and movingly, exactly as its composers intended. I am grateful to our vocalists for that. I would especially like to thank Kadyr Esenov, who performed the role of Mejnun. Through his talent and dedication, he has proven himself to be a worthy representative of the younger generation of Turkmenistan's Golden Age."
"Brilliant music,” noted conductor Dovletmammet Okdirov. “It was composed by two great masters in 1946—exactly 80 years ago. The score possesses remarkable nobility and rich ethnographic character, which rightfully secure its place among the treasures of Turkmen operatic classics. As children, my sister Leyli and I studied under the renowned teacher Roza Saparovna Turayeva, for whom ‘Leyli and Mejnun’ was one of her favorite operas. She often sang passages from Leyli's aria. Once Roza Saparovna told us that her dream was to see this opera performed by us—with Leyli singing and me conducting. Roza Saparovna is no longer with us, but this evening her dream came true. I stood at the conductor's podium while Leyli shone on the stage."
The performer of the title role, Leyli Okdirova, joined the conversation:
"It is a great honor for me to perform the role of Leyli in ‘Leyli and Mejnun.’ This role was once performed by Maya Kuliyeva, Medeniyet Shahberdiyeva, Roza Turayeva, Gulnar Nuriyeva, and Guzel Ovezova. My goal was to perform it at the same high artistic level. I must admit that I was very nervous."
"Three months of rehearsals brought all the singers and musicians together. We became like one family. Although three conservatory students appeared on stage with us—performing in an opera for the very first time—we felt completely comfortable and worked as true professionals. I am deeply grateful to my stage partner, Kadyr Esenov, for his outstanding vocal and dramatic portrayal of Mejnun. He performed brilliantly. I believe our work on ‘Leyli and Mejnun’ clearly demonstrates that operatic singing in our country is experiencing a remarkable revival."
