Samarkand to host 13th 'Sharq Taronalari' festival after five-year hiatus

The 13th "Sharq Taronalari" International Music Festival will be held in Samarkand under the auspices of UNESCO from August 26-30, according to the press service of the Ministry of Culture.

The festival, which has been held in Samarkand since 1997, was last held in 2019. According to the Ministry, the festival was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is noted that this year, more than 300 representatives from nearly 70 countries are expected to participate in the festival. According to UzA, this year's festival will not be held at Registan Square but at the "Eternal City" complex in the "Great Silk Road" international tourism center.

"The main goal of the festival is to widely disseminate the achievements in national musical art, preserve and develop the cultures and traditions of different nations, support talented young performers in the fields of music and singing, as well as to expand international creative connections and promote the ideas of peace, friendship, and mutual tolerance. Today, 'Sharq Taronalari' has taken its place among the famous festivals not only in Central Asia but also globally. The increasing number of participants and countries expressing interest in joining the festival, as well as the rising quality of the program, are clear examples of this," the Ministry's statement said.

According to the event program, the opening ceremony of the festival will take place on August 26. On August 27-28, an international scientific-practical conference on "The Musical Culture of Eastern Peoples: Principles of Creative Harmonization in the Processes of Globalization" will be held. On August 27-29, a competition among the participants of the festival will be held at 7:00 PM, with performances being evaluated by an international jury. The closing ceremony will be held on August 30, and the winners will be awarded.

According to the competition regulations, the winners will be determined in two categories and awarded diplomas, statuettes, and cash prizes by the organizing committee as follows:

"Grand Prix" – $10,000 (if no suitable candidate is found, the "Grand Prix" will not be awarded by the decision of the international jury);
1st place (in each category) 2×$5,000 – $10,000;
2nd place (in each category) 2×$3,500 – $7,000;
3rd place (in each category) 3×$2,000 – $6,000.

Additionally, participants who win the recognition of the organizing and creative associations, foundations, independent jury members, and fans will be awarded special diplomas and a cash prize of $500 in nominations such as "Youngest Participant," "Best Participant as Recognized by Fans," "Best Instrumental Music Performer," and others.