The Festival runs from May 20 to May 26 and its participants are both local (Cadenza Orchestra, BCMS Ensemble) and international guest ensembles and soloists from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Norway, the USA, and Russia, such as Schallfeld Ensemble (clarinet – Szilárd Benes, violin – Lorenzo Derinni, cello – Myriam García Fidalgo, piano – Patrick Skrilecz), Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (flute – Konstantin Efimov, clarinet – Oleg Tantsov, violin – Evgeny Subbotin, cello – Olga Demina, piano – Mikhail Dubov, artistic director – Viktoria Korshunova), Moscow Conservatory Centre for Electroacoustic Music (cello – Yulia Migunova, piano – Feodosia Mironova, percussion – Evsevii Zubkov, electronic – Nikolay Popov, sound artist – Ilya Kovalskii, light artist – Igor Pavlov), Sergej Tchirkov (accordion), Gleb Khokhlov (violin), Jeiran Hasan (flute), Ghyas Zeidieh (conductor), Rauf Farkhadov (musicologist), and Elmir Mirzoev (composer, musicologist, culturologist).

The Festival program consists of morning, afternoon, and evening sessions – all open to the public. Every day at noon, the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts and the International Mugham Center will host masterclasses, workshops, and lectures targeting the audience of professional musicians but open to anyone with a keen interest in contemporary music. Subsequently, at 16:00, the International Mugham Center and the Museum Center will host afternoon recitals under the title "Portraits": solos and duos made of the guest performers with the repertoire of their personal choice. Every Festival day ends with an evening concert at 19:00, performed at the International Mugham Center or the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall.

The Festival program covers over forty Azerbaijani and seven world premiers. Among Azerbaijani premieres, there are pieces by such renowned composers as H. Holliger (Switzerland), T. Murail, Y. Xennakis (France), L. Nono, G. Scelsi, S. Sciarrino (Italy), K. Saariaho (Finland), etc. Among world premiers are pieces by Ayaz Gambarli, Turkar Gasimzada, Tahir Ibishov, Said Gani, Firudin Allahverdi (Azerbaijan), J. G. Elizondo (Mexico), and J. C. Wiger-Nordås (Norway), some being commissioned by and composed specially for the Festival.

In addition to music performances, "Baku Contemporary Music Days" is the first in Azerbaijan to incorporate an extensive educational program. This year, the program includes:

• May 20 (12:00, Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts): “Why Contemporary / Where Contemporary“ about the meaning of the word “contemporary“ in music – lecture by Sergei Tchirkov);

• May 21 (12:00, in the same place): “How Technology Changes Music“ – lecture by the Moscow Conservatory Centre for Electroacoustic Music;

• May 22 (12:00, in the same place): open masterclass by Jeiran Hasan (flute);

• May 23 (12:00, International Mugham Center): open workshop by Szilárd Benes (clarinet);

• May 24 (12:00, Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts): “Bernd Alois Zimmermann, 'Music for King Ubu's Dinner' as a Postmodern Manifesto. A brief overview of German music of the second half of the 20th century“ – lecture by Elmir Mirzoev;

• May 25 (12:00, Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts): composer readings by Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble;

• May 26 (16:00, in the same place): round table discussions on the outputs and results of the Festival (presenter – Rauf Farkhadov).

The Festival will conclude with the screening of the film “A Trail On The Water | Abbado – Nono – Pollini“ (19:00, Nizami Cinema Center). Subtitles in Azerbaijani are made especially for showcasing as a part of the Festival’s program. Entrance to this event will be allowed through a pre-registration link (the number of seats is limited).

The Festival is organized with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

More detailed info about the Festival can be found on the official website, as well as on social networks (Facebook, Instagram).