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2024-08-07 15:49:18
Stage master, Azerbaijani opera vocalist and composer, laureate of international competitions Rizvan (Ridvan) Sadyrkhanov celebrates his 75th birthday today, Day.Az reports.
A graduate of the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry (now the State University of Oil and Industry), a professional oilman, he worked in production, at sea, and simultaneously studied at the Asaf Zeynalli Music College and then at the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Baku Music Academy, dreaming of a creative path. He failed to get into the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater, they refused. But, believing in his strength, in 1989 he wrote a letter to the President of Italy, sending him his musical recordings. Three months later, he was invited to the Italian embassy in Moscow.
Rizvan Sadyrkhanov: “But I was already 39 years old, and the Academy of Vocal Art in the city of Osimo accepts tenors up to 28 years old, and basses and baritones – up to 32 years old. I am a tenor, so I had no chance, but apparently they really liked my performance, so they made an exception. After the audition, I was invited to study at the Academy on behalf of the President of Italy. Having successfully passed the exams, I was enrolled and a year later I received a special prize from the Opera Society of about 1000 dollars.”
Out of 38 academy students from all over the world, he became the first and only Azerbaijani selected for the world tenor competition “The Voices of Beniamino Gigli”. He became the winner and received the Italian President’s Cup for the best performance of Italian works. Moreover, he was chosen as the best among 26 leading tenors of the world and received the award from the hands of the legendary opera singer Franco Correlli.
Then there were successful tours of the cities of Italy, which became his second home, his success was reported on Soviet television, where they told about an oilman from Azerbaijan, singing opera arias. The Italian Academy entrusted Sadyrkhanov with the selection of gifted children to study there, among whom were our talents Eldar Aliyev, Javid Samedov, Azer Rzazade.
What is especially significant in the creative life of Rizvan Sadyrkhanov is that he became the author of the first Azerbaijani rock opera “The Return of Sinbad”, which was presented in 2018 on the stage of the Heydar Aliyev Palace. The rock opera uses poems of world classics in Azerbaijani, Russian, English, Italian, Czech and even Chinese.
Rizvan Sadyrkhanov: “In 2015, at a reception after a concert in the Kremlin Palace, where three of my songs were premiered at once, the conversation turned to music, and I played and sang a fragment of the opera. There were members of the government, deputies, musicians, my friends Andrei Dementyev and Iosif Kobzon. Everyone began to wonder what kind of melody it was. And then Kobzon said: “This can be staged here, this is a very interesting thing.” But neither Andrei Dementyev nor Iosif Kobzon lived to see the premiere of the opera… The first chords of the rock opera were played at the home of academician Rafael Huseynov, who became the co-author of the rock opera. All the parts in the Azerbaijani language – the introduction and ending – are written to his verses. I express special gratitude to the Ministry of Culture, director Nijat Kazimov and choreographer Jamila Bayramova. Everyone made their contribution. “The Return of Sinbad” turned out to be a rock opera not just multicultural, but popular multicultural.”
Repeated winner of prestigious vocal competitions, dramatic tenor Rizvan Sadyrkhanov has performed in Italy, Russia, Turkey, Israel and other countries, participated in numerous musical events and conducted master classes. Over the years of his creative activity, he has released about ten discs. In different years, he performed on the same stage with such legendary artists as Muslim Magomayev, Iosif Kobzon, Alexander Gradsky, Fidan and Khuraman Gasimov, Farhad Badalbeyli, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Biser Kirov and others. Arias from operas and songs in various genres performed by him are included in the golden fund of Azerbaijan Radio and Television. The author of many songs, music for films, works in memory of Jean-Paul Belmondo, Toto Cutugno, etc. He has written about a thousand works, including compositions based on the poems of Azerbaijani classics – Mehseti Ganjavi, Gatran Tabrizi, Shahriyar, Nizami Ganjavi, Imadeddin Nasimi, Muhammad Fuzuli, Huseyn Javid, Mikail Mushfig and others.
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