National conductor returns to native Shusha

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Famous Azerbaijani conductor Fuad Ibrahimov is back in Shusha. During his visit, the conductor has shown the photos of him leaving Shusha in 1992 when he was 9 years old.

On May 8, 1992, Shusha was captured by the Armenian invaders. The city was liberated from the occupants during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. 

The 38-year-old conductor, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Fuad Ibrahimov arrived in Azerbaijan's cultural capital to take part in the Khari Bulbul Music Festival that was resumed after a long break. He recreated photos taken 30 years ago near his house, on Jidir Plain. 

Fuad Ibrahimov, born in 1982 in Shusha began his music studies at the age of 12, when he attended the specialized music school associated with the Baku Music Academy. There he joined the studio of Prof. Tofig Aslanov (1994-1998), and later was a member of the youth string orchestra, "Tutti", conducted by Teymur Geokchayev.

In 1998 he also joined the viola studio of Prof. B. Mehdiyev at the Baku Music Academy, and simultaneously enrolled in the Cologne Academy of Music (Germany) in the studio of Prof. Rainer Moog.

During this time, Ibrahimov was awarded a scholarship from the "Friends of Azerbaijan Culture" Foundation, as well as the the Dr. Carl Dorcken-Werner Richard Scholarship, and performed concerts in numerous German cities under the auspices of the Yehudi Menuhin Charitable Foundation and being awarded the Berlioz prize in France.

He has also performed with the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig, the Staatskapelle Halle, the Gottingen and the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, the "Das kritische Orchester Berlin", which is composed from musicians from orchestras like the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Staatskapelle Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden and other great orchestras.

He also conducted the State Symphony Orchestra of Azerbaijan, the South Westphalian Philharmonic, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and many other orchestras.

In 2006, Ibrahmov began his conducting studies with Prof. Michael Luig at the Cologne Academy of Music, and since 2008 he has acted as music director of the student symphony orchestra "Sinfonietta", based in Cologne. 

Since 2013 Fuad Ibrahimov is a holder of President's Scholarship of Azerbaijan.