Aida Hamdulla gizi Abdullayeva (23 April 1922, Baku – 11 April 2009, Baku) was an Azerbaijani Soviet harpist, teacher, professor at the Baku Music Academy, founder of the Azerbaijan School of Harp Performance, Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (1972). She is known as the first Azerbaijani harpist.

Life and education

Aida Abdullayeva was born on 23 April 1922 in Baku. In 1940, she graduated from ten-year high school and with the assistance of prominent composer

Uzeyir Hajibeyov Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn oghlu Hajibeyov ( az, Üzeyir bəy Əbdülhüseyn oğlu Hacıbəyov; russian: Узеир Абдул-Гусейн оглы Гаджибеков, translit=Uzeir Abdul-Guseyn ogly Gadzhibekov; September 18, 1885November 23, 19 ...

entered the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (russian: Московская государственная консерватория им. П. И. Чайковского, link=no) is a musical educational inst ...

. With the beginning of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, in 1941 Aida Abdullayeva returned to Baku and was employed in the orchestra of the Opera and Ballet Theater. In autumn 1942 Abdullayeva and her family was

repressed "Repressed" is a single by Apocalyptica, released on 19 May 2006. The title song features Max Cavalera (Soulfly and Sepultura) and Matt Tuck ( Bullet for my Valentine) on vocals. It's mostly sung in English and Portuguese, which parts in the las ...

and deported to Kazakhstan. Only in 1943, she with the assistance of Uzeyir Hajibeyov returned to Baku and resumed studying at the Baku State Conservatory, starting to work in the symphony orchestra of the Republic’s Radio Committee. In 1944, Abdullayeva with the help of Uzeyir Hajibeyov returned to study at the Moscow Conservatory. She studied under the supervision of Ksenia Erdeli. In 1949, Abdullayeva graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. The same year the rector of the Conservatory offered her to start teaching harp class.

Career

Starting from 1950 and until the end of her life Abdullaeva worked at the Baku Music Academy. In the 1970s Abdullayeva organized the first quartet of harpists from among her students. For over 60 years of work at the conservatory, she has trained more than 25 professionals that became laureates of various prestigious competitions. In 1972, Abdullayeva was awarded a title of Honored Artist of Azerbaijan. In 1985, she published a valuable textbook "Program for the class of harp in music schools". Abdullayeva transcribed many plays by

Fikret Amirov Fikret Mashadi Jamil oghlu Amirov ( az, Fikrət Məşədi Cəmil oğlu Əmirov; November 22, 1922, Ganja – February 20, 1984, Baku) was a prominent Soviet and Azerbaijani composer. Biography Fikret Amirov grew up in an atmosphere of Azerb ...

, preserving the composer’s style and the national nature of Azerbaijani music. Abdullayeva was married to a sculptor Tokay Mammadov. Aida Abdullayeva died on 11 April 2009 in Baku. In April 2012, Baku Jazz Center hosted an event dedicated to the 90th birthday of Abdullayeva.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdullayeva, Aida 1922 births 2009 deaths 20th-century Azerbaijani musicians Women harpists Burials at II Alley of Honor