Khadija Zeynalova – PhD in art history (Germany), composer,
researcher, musicologist, associate professor of Detmold Academy of
Music in Germany, artistic director of Bridge of Sound orchestra in
Germany, founder and chairman of Bridge of Sound society, founder
and artistic director of the “Harmony of Sound” International Music
Festival in Germany. Author of more than 40 scientific books,
works, and textbooks published in Germany, the Netherlands,
England, Azerbaijan, and Japan.

She was awarded the title of “Composer and Art Worker of the
Year” in Germany in 2024. As the first Azerbaijani composer and
musicologist, Khadija Zeynalova is a recipient of the prestigious
Friedrich Ebert Foundation Scholarship in Germany, DAAD
Scholarship, Scholarship of the German Ministry of Culture,
Scholarship of the German Ministry of Culture of North
Rhine-Westphalia, GVL Foundation Scholarship, GEMA Foundation
Scholarship, and Musikfonds Foundation Scholarship.

Trend News
Agency presents an interview with the famous composer,
researcher, artistic director of Bridge of Sound orchestra Khadija
Zeynalova, living in Germany.

Khadija, we know that you received your first
musical education in Azerbaijan. Then you moved to Germany to
continue your education. How do you remember the period of your
education in Germany? What do the musical education of the two
countries have in common?

Yes, I received my first musical education at Music School.
Then, from 1990 through 1994 I studied at the Music College on
music theory, in 1994-2000 at the Baku Music Academy, specializing
in composition and musicology. I successfully completed my
bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Continuing my studies in Germany, I studied composition at the
Detmold Conservatory in 2005-2006 under the guidance of Professor
Martin Christoph Redel, and then from 2006 through 2012, I studied
at the doctoral program of the University of Paderborn under the
guidance of Professor Dr. Werner Kyle. I was honored to be the
first Azerbaijani composer and musicologist to defend my
dissertation there on “Azerbaijan’s twentieth-century musical
culture and trends in Western music”. It is also the first 400-page
scientific work written in German on Azerbaijani musical
culture.

During my years of study, I participated in numerous
contemporary music festivals in Germany and Europe. The festival of
contemporary music in Donaueschingen, the festival in Darmstadt,
chamber music days in Witten, and Beethoven festivals are just some
of them.

In addition, it was of great advantage for me to know and
observe the performances of such world-famous composers as Pierre
Boulez, Wolfgang Rihm, Mauricio Kagel, György Kurtág, Dieter Mack,
Krzysztof Meyer, as well as conductors such as Kurt Masur.

As for the similarity of Azerbaijani and German systems of music
education, in both countries bachelor’s and master’s degrees have a
similar structure. However, the German education system pays more
attention to practice and prepares students for the professional
environment from an early age. Moreover, while German music
education is more research-oriented, in Azerbaijan there is more
emphasis on practical musical skills. In essence, this means that
both systems complement each other.

You wrote your scholarly work in German. How did it
feel to prepare such an extensive study on Azerbaijani music in
German, and how long did it take?

When I first started my studies in Germany, I was exploring the
libraries and books available there. Unfortunately, after some
research, I realized that in the large encyclopedic volumes, like
the MGG (Musicalisches Lexikon), there was only a brief half-page
mention of composers Gara Garayev and Faraj Garayev, written by my
professor, the musicologist Zumrud Dadashzade, from Baku.

Seeing this, I made the decision that once I completed my
studies in composition, I would apply for a doctoral program in
musicology. I thought to myself that, living in a country like
Germany, I absolutely had to write a scholarly work about the rich
music culture of Azerbaijan. My doctoral studies and the writing of
my dissertation in German took six years (2006–2012). In 2012, I
successfully defended my dissertation. The following year, my work
was published by the renowned German publishing house Peter Lang
and was distributed worldwide.

Writing my dissertation in German on “The 20th Century Music
Culture of Azerbaijan and the Trends of Western Music” as the first
Azerbaijani composer was a great honor and responsibility for
me.

In 2024, you were recognized as Composer of the Year
in Germany. What category did you win in, and what achievements or
steps were necessary for this victory?

Yes, 2024 has been a very significant year for me. Being awarded
the titles “Composer of the Year” and “Artist in Residence” by the
German Ministry of Culture and the Klosterlandschaft OWL
International Festival is, in my opinion, one of the most valuable
events in my 20 years of work in Germany and my overall 35-year
creative journey. Creative people are chosen by God, and when their
work is valued so highly, it only leads to further development and
perfection. Most importantly, this recognition is an appreciation
of my creativity.

Of course, being honored with such a nomination as an
Azerbaijani female composer in a country like Germany—where culture
and music are deeply ingrained—fills me with pride and joy.

As part of this nomination, my series of composer concerts held
throughout the past year in various German cities were a tremendous
success. Additionally, my oratorio, which I composed specifically
for this award, was performed with great success by my Bridge of
Sound ensemble.

Achieving this victory required many significant
accomplishments. I have now been working as a composer in Germany
for 20 years. Since 1999, I have been a member of the Azerbaijan
Composers’ Union, and since 2007, a member of Germany’s Authors’
Rights Organization. I am also a member of the International
Alliance “Women in Music.” Over the years, I have taken many
important steps. I have organized, composed for, and participated
in numerous projects, concerts, and festivals. Among the most
important projects, I can mention the following:

In my creative career, last year, my third CD album, “Ave Maria
Mother Mary”, a three-part composition, was released in both
Germany and the United States.

The German media frequently interview you. Could you
share with us the most memorable interview you’ve had with
them?

Yes, German media regularly conducts interviews with me. Among
the numerous interviews, one that stands out the most is the one I
gave to Deutschlandfunk Radio, which lasted for one hour. This
interview was dedicated to the presentation of my debut CD album
Vom Land des Feuers – Wege zwischen Aserbaidschan und Deutschland
(“From the Land of Fire – Bridges Between Azerbaijan and Germany”),
which was released in honor of the 100th anniversary of the
Republic of Azerbaijan. It’s worth mentioning that this CD album
was created with financial support from the German Ministry of
Culture.

Additionally, a wide interview featured on the cover of Lippe
Reporter magazine holds special significance for me. This interview
was related to my recognition as the first Azerbaijani composer to
receive the “Composer of the Year and Artist” nomination in
Germany.

Furthermore, earlier this year, my new composition Feuertempel –
Atəşgah Od Məbədi (Fire Temple – The Temple of Fire) for symphonic
orchestra had its premiere performance by the Schleswig-Holstein
Symphony Orchestra in seven cities in northern Germany. Following
the great success of this piece, I was contacted by
Schleswig-Holstein Zeitung newspaper, and a detailed interview was
arranged with me. This interview has also been one of the most
fascinating ones I’ve had.

You are the artistic director of the “Bridge of
Sound” orchestra. The history behind the creation of this orchestra
is quite interesting. Can you tell us about the orchestra’s
formation and the countries represented by its
members?

The idea of creating the “Bridge of Sound” orchestra stemmed
from my long-standing desire to deepen the synthesis of Eastern and
Western musical cultures. The inspiration for this ensemble came
from the renowned German poet and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe’s work, West-östlicher Diwan (East-West Divan). This work
greatly reinforced my desire to build musical bridges between
different cultures.

The orchestra is highly international, with musicians hailing
from a diverse range of countries, including Germany, Austria,
Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, China, Japan, the United States,
Ecuador, Greece, Korea, Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Latvia, Türkiye, Portugal, Spain, Poland, Venezuela, and many
others. Together, we unite the sounds and spirits of various
cultures to present unique musical works.

We have carried out numerous memorable projects with the “Bridge
of Sound” orchestra, including our debut CD album Vom Land des
Feuers – From the Land of Fire (which was dedicated to the 100th
anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic) and the concert
series For Peace. These projects hold a special place in our
journey. Currently, we are actively working on new projects, and we
plan to sign more international collaborations in the future.

This CD album was successfully recorded over the course of four
days at the renowned Kammermusiksaal hall of the famous German
Radio Deutschlandfunk, under the direction of X. Zeynalova, and
performed by the Bridge of Sound ensemble. The album, titled
Bridges between Azerbaijan and Germany from the Land of Fire, was
released by the German CD Dreyer Gaido Musikproduktionen, with the
financial support of the German Kunststiftung
Foundation.

In 2022-2023, I organized a concert series titled For Peace/Für
den Frieden/For Peace, which took place in six different cities
across Germany (three concerts in 2022 and three in 2023). These
performances featured works by Azerbaijani and world composers, and
were successfully executed by the international Bridge of Sound
ensemble.

You are also recognized as the creator of a music
festival in Germany. Where did the idea for this festival come
from? What new experiences does it offer to the German
audience?

The idea of creating an international music festival actually
originated when I first arrived in Germany. However, I initially
got caught up in my studies, focusing on composition and later
musicology in my doctoral program. It wasn’t until I established my
own orchestra that I was able to bring this idea to life in
2021.

The festival is financed and supported by the German Ministry of
Culture, the City of Detmold Municipality, and the State Committee
for Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of our Harmony of Sound
festival in Germany. Every year, the festival is dedicated to the
music culture of a particular country. Our first festival focused
on Azerbaijani music culture, followed by Ukrainian, Argentine, and
Cuban music in subsequent years. The main idea behind the festival
is to introduce the German audience to the music of different
nations, their folk instruments, contemporary music, and genres,
while building a bridge between cultures, people, and
musicians.

You are an associate professor at both the Detmold
Conservatory and Paderborn University. Which of these institutions
do you enjoy teaching at more, and what are the key differences
between them? Do you observe any differences in your students at
each institution?

As an associate professor, I have nearly 30 years of teaching
experience in music theory, piano, and composition (10 years in
Azerbaijan and 20 years in Germany) at various educational
institutions.

In Germany, I teach undergraduate students at the Detmold
Conservatory (Hochschule für Musik Detmold) and Paderborn
University, covering music theory subjects such as harmony,
solfeggio, music theory, counterpoint, and contemporary music
history. Both institutions are dear to me, and I consider them both
my academic homes.

There isn’t a significant difference between the students at the
two institutions, as in both places, they study various instruments
at the undergraduate level.

Overall, I deeply enjoy teaching as an associate professor, and
I take great pleasure in sharing my knowledge with young
students.

Your music has been performed on the most
prestigious stages and broadcasted on the most renowned radios in
Germany. Could you tell us more about this?

Many of my works have been successfully performed in various
cities across Germany and broadcast on prominent radio stations
such as MDR Radio, WDR Radio, Deutschlandfunk, Radio Bremen, SWR
Radio, SWR2, Cosmo Radio, and RBB Berlin.

Since 2007, my compositions have been widely presented in
different cities and prestigious radio stations across Germany. For
instance, in Leipzig, my music was featured on MDR Radio; in
Munich, on Bayerischer Rundfunk Radio; in Cologne, on
Deutschlandfunk Radio; in Berlin, on RBB; in Bremen, on Radio
Bremen; in Cologne, on WDR3 Radio; in Berlin, on Cosmo Radio; and
in Baden-Baden, on SWR2 Radio. Many of my CD albums, including “Vom
Land des Feuers – Wege zwischen Aserbaidschan und Deutschland”
(Bridges between Azerbaijan and Germany), “Heinrich and Leyla”, and
“Ave Maria – Mother Mary”, have been presented to German
audiences.

Additionally, my works have been performed at contemporary music
concerts and international music festivals in various countries,
including Germany (Detmold, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Leipzig,
etc.), Austria (Vienna, Linz), the United Kingdom (London,
Manchester, Liverpool), Hungary, Oman, Türkiye, Italy, France,
Switzerland, Northern Cyprus, Georgia, Canada, the United States,
Greece, and many other countries, enjoying great success on
prestigious stages.

What was the “Heinrich and Leyla” project dedicated
to? What is the plotline?

“Heinrich and Leyla” is a composition consisting of 18 sections
written for a large chamber orchestra. I composed this piece based
on the eponymous work of Azerbaijani playwright and writer Amir
Pahlivani.

Our project is dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the
presence of Germans in Azerbaijan and the friendship between
Azerbaijan and Germany.

Looking back at history, we see that 200 years ago, many German
families migrated to Azerbaijan. During this period, they
established eight German settlements in Azerbaijan, playing a
significant role in the country’s culture, economy, and overall
social development.

The plot of the piece is as follows: The events of the work take
place in the city of Annenfeld (present-day Shamkir) in Azerbaijan
during the years 1937-1938. The central theme of this dramatic
piece is the great love story between Heinrich, a German, and
Leyla, an Azerbaijani. The story unfolds in 1942 in Annenfeld (now
Shamkir), Azerbaijan.

In 2022, my second CD album, “Heinrich and Leyla,” was released
in the United States. This CD album was funded by the Azerbaijani
Diaspora Support Fund.