HISTORIC DECISION IN BAKU: COMPOSERS OF THE TURKIC WORLD UNITE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A SINGLE UNION

On 19 September 2026, as part of the First Congress of Composers of the Turkic World, representatives of leading music organizations from the Turkic countries laid the foundation for the Turkic Union of Composers (TUC).

This historic decision was formalized through the signing of the Baku Declaration, which laid the foundation for sustained professional cooperation among composers, musicologists, performers, conservatories, music academies, and creative unions across the Turkic countries.

The establishment of the TUC became the key milestone of the Congress (Kurultai). For the first time, cooperation among composers of the Turkic countries has acquired a unified institutional framework and a long-term international platform, opening a new chapter in the musical history of the Turkic world – from a shared cultural heritage to joint creativity and a united voice on the global stage.

“We seek to create a vibrant musical space in which the rich heritage of the Turkic peoples becomes a source of new works, professional cooperation and international cultural dialogue. The First (Congress) Kurultai in Baku and the establishment of the Turkic Union of Composers (TUC) open a new chapter in the history of musical diplomacy of the Turkic world”, said Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

The TUC aims to bring together the creative potential of the Turkic world, support contemporary schools of composition, foster the creation of new musical works, and promote the music of the Turkic peoples on major international stages.

It is particularly symbolic that the TUC was established in Azerbaijan – a country with outstanding musical traditions that has given world culture such great composers as Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Gara Garayev, Fikrat Amirov and many others.

The 1st Congress (Kurultai) of Composers of the Turkic World is being held on 18-20 September 2026 within the framework of the 18th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the ICESCO Regional Office in Baku, the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan National Conservatory.