Berlin: This year marks the 108th anniversary of the birth of Gara Garayev, a significant figure in Azerbaijani culture. Garayev was a renowned composer, academician, scholar-pedagogue, public figure, People's Artist of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor, and a laureate of the State Prizes of both the USSR and Azerbaijan.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, to commemorate this occasion, AZERTAC is conducting a series of interviews with musicians and cultural figures worldwide. One of these interviews features Diala Hanana, a Syrian pianist, teacher, and soloist who currently resides and works in Berlin. Hanana shared her insights on the importance of Gara Garayev's creative legacy and its impact on her musical journey.

Hanana first encountered Garayev's music while studying at the Damascus Conservatory under Azerbaijani teacher Almaz Mehdiyeva. She expressed admiration for the depth, restraint, intensity, and lyricism of Garayev's compositions. Hanana noted the vivid inner tension and national color in Garayev's works, which are conveyed through a unique blend of national intonations and European forms, alongside an oriental melodic coloring that resonates with Arab musical traditions.

The pianist emphasized the emotional depth of Garayev's music, highlighting how it resonates with her personally. Hanana remarked that experiencing Garayev's creativity offered her a deeper understanding of the interactions and enrichment between European and Eastern musical traditions.