I congratulate the Azerbaijani music community, all fans of music on the occasion of September 18, National Music Day.

This cultural holiday has been celebrated solemnly every year since 1995 in our country at the initiative of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev on the birthday of our brilliant composer Uzeyir Hajibayli.

This year's National Music Day is also marked by the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the birth of Arif Malikov, one of the brightest figures of Azerbaijani culture, an outstanding composer, People's Artist of the USSR and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Arif Malikov worthily continued the bright creative traditions of the generation of artists that Azerbaijani culture left behind and wrote new pages in the annals of our national music. The works created by this composer in the most diverse genres of music are included in the golden fund of Azerbaijani culture.

The richness and variety of themes, the unique style formed in the unity of national musical traditions and new thinking, the rich content and deep emotional, psychological and philosophical expression of images are characteristic features of Arif Malikov's legacy.

Arif Malikov was a great person who devoted himself to Azerbaijan throughout his life and loved it from the bottom of his heart. His truly intellectual and civic position, his devotion and commitment to his nation and his loyalty to his state earned him the love of all Azerbaijanis.

The composer's masterpiece is the ballet “The Legend of Love” based on the libretto of the famous Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet. Considered one of the pearls of the 20th century world ballet music, this piece decorated popular theater stages for more than half a century and represents one of the great achievements of our musical culture.

The “Legend of Love” ballet, first staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in 1961, was later performed in more than 60 countries and brought the author world fame.

It is gratifying that the “Legend of Love” ballet, considered the peak of the composer's career, is staged in the author's homeland again with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation after a long break.

Arif Malikov's legacy represents the cultural wealth of the Azerbaijani people. Arif Malikov's music, which meets the requirements of high art and calls for spiritual perfection, will live forever.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 18 September 2023