This concert offers an immersive journey into the musical traditions of Azerbaijan and Turkey showcasing the richness of Azerbaijani vocal art through the remarkable voice of internationally acclaimed soprano Djamilya Babaeva. Her artistic journey is marked by prestigious international awards, including the Verviers International Singing Competition (Belgium), finalist of the Asian Singing Competition, special prizes at the Rimsky-Korsakov Competition (St. Petersburg), the Bul-Bul Competition (Baku). She has performed on some of the world’s most renowned stages, including the National Opera of Azerbaijan, the Baku Philharmonic, the Rouen Opera, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Liceu Opera in Barcelona and the Izmir Opera.
Djamila will be accompanied by a trio of magnificent Turkish musicians from Istambul specializing in traditional instruments:
Çağlar Fidan – Vocal, Qanun
Born in 1994 in Istanbul, Çağlar graduated from the Turkish Music State Conservatory and joined TRT Istanbul Radio as a vocalist. His research and performances explore the social and musical topography of Ottoman Istanbul, with projects such as The Music of the Istanbul Encyclopedia and his album Intra Muros Istanbul.
Erhan Bayram – Istanbul Kemenche
Originally from Ankara, Erhan studied at the Turkish Music State Conservatory and deepened his work in Greece through Erasmus. Today he is a lecturer at Sakarya University and president of the Tanburi Cemil Bey Association. He directed the TRT2 series Istanbul’un Müziği (The Music of Istanbul) and has performed widely across Turkey, Europe, and the Arab world.
Nikos Papageorgiou – Tanbur, Lute
Born in 1996, Nikos grew up studying lavta, church music, and tanbur with masters such as Evgenios Voulgaris and Murat Aydemir. Since 2018 he has been based in Istanbul, performing in many projects and researching the shared musical heritage of Turkish and Greek traditions.
Their repertoire revives the enchanting songs that once filled Istanbul’s coffeehouses, taverns, gardens, theatres, and moonlit Bosphorus nights. It is more than a concert – it is an invitation to experience memory, heritage, and the living dialogue between cultures.