The 10th anniversary edition of the Moscow International Arts Festival “Sounds of the Dutar,” named after Nury Khalmamedov, is entering its final stretch. The project, which began as a musical initiative, has grown into a large-scale space for vibrant cultural dialogue and has become a symbolic bridge between the academic and ethnocultural traditions of Russia, Turkmenistan, and the CIS countries. The country’s International Information Center reported this.
The festival year began in February with the concert “Music of the Universe and Melody of the Soul” at the A. N. Scriabin Museum, which established an artistic dialogue between the works of Alexander Scriabin and Nury Khalmamedov. An important part of the project’s educational mission was the publication of sheet music collections, including Nury Khalmamedov’s works for violin and piano, edited by Honored Artist of Russia Leonora Dmiterko.
The final stage of the program traditionally combines science, performance, and fine art. On October 26, the Pashkov House, in collaboration with the Maya Kulieva Turkmen National Conservatory, will host an international conference and concert entitled “Art in the Cultural Commonwealth of Nations.” Following the conference, a scholarly collection of articles will be published, highlighting the work of composers celebrating anniversaries in 2026: Veli Mukhatov, Chary Nurymov, Rejep Allayarov, Bayramdurdy Khudainazarov, Sergei Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich.
On October 28, the Georgy Garanyan Children’s Music School will host competitive auditions for musicians and participants in the International Recitation Competition “Voices of Russia and Its Friends.” The festival will culminate on November 1 at the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery, where the art exhibition “Akhal-Teke Horses – Winged Steeds” will open, along with a gala concert and awards ceremony.
The high status and scale of the anniversary forum are confirmed by greetings from renowned figures in science, culture, and politics. The organizing committee received messages from MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov, Rector of the V.S. Popov Academy of Choral Art Alexander Solovyov, President of the Russian Academy of Arts Vasily Tsereteli, Chairman of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan Charymurat Yazmuradov, Helikon Opera director Ilya Ilyin, and Chairman of the Board of the Russian Peace Foundation Leonid Slutsky.
As the festival’s artistic director, Mamed Guseinov, noted, the final chords of the anniversary season not only represent the culmination of many years of work but also lay a solid foundation for the further strengthening of humanitarian and creative ties between peoples.
