Music cooperation now has a permanent platform.
Representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Hungary have established the Turkic Union of Composers (TUC) in Baku, formalizing the decision through the Baku Declaration, DKNews.kz reports.
The Union was created on September 19 during the First Congress (Kurultai) of Composers of the Turkic World. The new body is designed to connect composers, musicologists, performers, conservatories, music academies and creative unions through sustained professional cooperation rather than occasional cultural events.
The Baku Declaration creates a permanent framework
The establishment of the TUC became the central outcome of the Congress.
For the first time, cooperation among composers across the Turkic world has acquired a unified institutional framework and a long-term international platform. The Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation describes the initiative as a move from shared cultural heritage toward joint creativity and a stronger presence on the international stage.
The new platform brings together several parts of the music community:
- composers and musicologists;
- performers;
- conservatories and music academies;
- professional and creative unions.
The TUC is expected to support contemporary schools of composition, encourage new works, expand professional exchange and promote the music of the Turkic peoples internationally.
Its practical impact, however, will ultimately be measured by what follows the declaration: new compositions, joint concerts, educational initiatives and international projects involving musicians from participating countries.
Aktoty Raimkulova: shared heritage should inspire new music
Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, linked the creation of the Union not only to preserving a common cultural legacy, but also to producing new music.
«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 Aktoty Raimkulova.
For Kazakhstan, participation in the new platform creates another channel for its composers and music institutions to develop international partnerships and take part in collaborative projects across the Turkic cultural space.
Why the first Congress was held in Baku
The choice of Baku carries particular symbolism because of Azerbaijan’s musical heritage.
The country has given world culture such prominent composers as Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Gara Garayev and Fikrat Amirov. Organizers highlighted this tradition when explaining the significance of establishing the TUC in Azerbaijan.
The First Congress of Composers of the Turkic World is being held from September 18 to 20 as part of the 18th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival.
Its program combines institutional, academic and musical events, including plenary and constituent meetings, an international roundtable, exhibitions, and concerts featuring symphonic, chamber and traditional music.
The project is organized by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture 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.
A new cultural platform for the Turkic world
The creation of the TUC also fits into a broader pattern of growing cooperation across the Turkic world. Cultural ties are developing alongside economic, transport, educational and institutional initiatives involving countries of the region.
Within the wider framework surrounding the Organization of Turkic States, cooperation has increasingly expanded beyond cultural dialogue into transport corridors, investment, finance, digital technologies and other practical areas. For the music community, the TUC adds a dedicated professional institution to this broader network of connections.
That gives the new Union a specific role: turning a shared cultural heritage into new compositions, professional exchanges and projects capable of reaching audiences beyond the Turkic world.
We previously explored this wider transformation in “The Turkic World: Almaty and Tokayev’s Initiatives as New Drivers of Integration”, which looks at how cultural and humanitarian ties are developing alongside economic and institutional cooperation across the Turkic space.
