On the 21st of August, as part of the XVIII International Music Festival «Gathering Friends», a gala concert «He Truly Became the Mouth of Turkmenistan» was held with great success in the Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the founder of classical Turkmen literature and the great philosopher of the East, Magtymguly Fragi.
The organizers of the concert were the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Russian Federation, the director of the festival «Sounds of Dutar» named after N. Halmammedov M. Guseyinov, and the Moscow State Conservatory. Before the concert, a lecture «The Heritage of Magtymguly and Contemporary Musical Art» was given by L. Babayeva, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Music History of the Turkmen National Conservatory named after M. Kulyyeva.
In his welcoming message, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation E.M. Aydogdyyev emphasised: «Today's concert truly became a confirmation of the great respect and recognition that surrounds the name of Magtymguly Fragi in Russia, evidence of the inseparable ties of friendship and mutual sympathy between the peoples of the two countries, the presence of huge historical layers of interpenetration of cultures, including musical art.
In Russia this year, the anniversary of Magtymguly is widely celebrated. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Astrakhan, Kazan - this is far from a complete list of the geography of the celebrations that are taking place and will continue to take place on Russian soil. Turkmenistan highly appreciates this, always emphasizing that cultural, humanitarian, educational cooperation between our countries is a strong bridge of strategic interstate partnership». The concert program included vocal and instrumental works based on the poems of Magtymguly Fragi, as well as compositions dedicated to the great classical poet performed by musicians and vocalists from the Turkmen National Conservatory named after M. Kulyyeva and other special music schools of the country. The concert ended with the mono-opera «Monologues of Magtymguly Fragi» by composer Mammet Guseyinov.
An exhibition of paintings and books dedicated to Magtymguly Fragi was organized in the foyer of the concert hall. Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the media, prominent figures of culture and art, representatives of the Turkmen diaspora and student youth of our country attended the ceremony.
