The Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival was initiated by President Islam Karimov in 1997. According to the organizers, the main goals of the event are to spread the achievements in national music art to the general public, to preserve and develop the culture and traditions of participating nations, to support talented young musicians and singers, to expand international creative relations, and to promote the ideas of peace, friendship, and mutual tolerance.
Samarkand was chosen as the host city of the new festival due to its historical and cultural significance. Known as the “Pearl of the East”, Samarkand is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; it has been a major cultural hub in Central Asia for millennia. In 2001, it was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites as “Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures”. In 2023, there were talks about moving the festival from Samarkand to Namangan, but the 2024 event was held in Samarkand as usual.
The Sharq Taronalari festival is organized by the administration of the Samarkand Region, the National Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan, and the Union of Composers of Uzbekistan. The main partners of the festival are the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, UNESCO, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY).
Since its inception, Sharq Taronalari has become one of the biggest cultural festivals in Central Asia. Every two years, hundreds of participants from more than 70 countries come to Samarkand for the Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival to celebrate the finest in national music, preserve cultural heritage, and foster global harmony.
Over the years, the festival has welcomed participants from Afghanistan, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uzbekistan, and many other countries.
The program of the festival includes the grand opening ceremony, workshops and conferences, auditions where participants are evaluated by a panel of judges, and the gala concert and closing ceremony where the winners are announced and awarded.
Singers and musicians compete in two main categories: folk and classical music, and contemporary music. The jury of the contest chooses three winners in each category (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) and the Grand Prix winner. All winners receive valuable cash prizes, and the rest of the participants are awarded diplomas. Winners are not allowed to participate in the competition in the subsequent years, but they may be invited to the festival as guests of honor.
Photo: sharqtaronalari2024.uz
