Representatives from Turkmenistan were among the winners of the competition held as part of the 3rd International Maqom Art Forum, which took place in the city of Namangan from June 23 to 26.
The Turkmen participants were awarded an honorary statuette and a monetary prize, according to the “Turkmenistan: Golden Age” website.
The large-scale event, organized under the auspices of UNESCO and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), brought together experts, artists, and performers from various countries.
Turkmenistan was represented in the competition by “bagshy” Serdar Bayramov, Spartak Atakov (a teacher at the Danatar Ovezov Turkmen State Special Music School), and Davlet Danatarov (a teacher at the Sakhy Jepbarov Special Music School in the city of Arkadag).
Within the framework of the forum’s competition program, Turkmen musicians performed a profound and technically demanding repertoire that included the folk songs “Jan-jan,” “Arzurum,” and “Balsayat,” as well as the piece “Yar Senin,” set to lyrics by Karaja Oglan. Their performance was highly acclaimed by the international jury.
Alongside the concert program of the forum, an expert discussion took place regarding the prospects for the development of national musical genres. Gadam Jumagulyyev, a conductor and Honored Art Worker of Turkmenistan, participated in the discussions.He spoke as an expert on “muqam”, presenting a detailed analysis of the characteristics and developmental trajectory of Turkmen musical art in the modern era. Additionally, Rovshen Muhammedov—a musicologist and senior lecturer at the Maya Kuliyeva Turkmen National Conservatory—delivered a presentation at the international scientific conference “New Trends in Eastern “Maqam”: The Interplay of Tradition and Innovation.”
