Azerbaijani classical music () includes a range of musical styles rooted in the traditions of Western or

European classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

that European settlers brought to the country from the 20th century and onwards.

History

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic era

The professional classical music in

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

is associated with name of composer

Uzeyir Hajibeyov Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn bey oghlu Hajibeyov (18 September 188523 November 1948) was an Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijani composer, musicologist and teacher. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical music. He composed the music of the Az� ...

Soviet era

In 1920, Azerbaijani classical music had undergone a renaissance and

Baku Academy of Music The Hajibeyli Baku Academy of Music (Azeri: ''Hacıbəyli adına Bakı Musiqi Akademiyası'') is a music school in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was established in 1920 in Baku and was previously known as the Hajibeyli Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. H ...

was founded to give classical musicians the same support as folk musicians. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Fikret Amirov Fikret Mashadi Jamil oghlu Amirov (November 22, 1922February 20, 1984) was a prominent Soviet and Azerbaijani composer. Biography Early life and education Originally from Shusha, Fikret Amirov was born on November 22, 1922, in the family of ...

introduced a new genre called symphonic

mugam Mugham () or Mughamat () is one of the many classical compositions from Azerbaijan, contrasting with tasnif and ashik. It is an art form that weds classical poetry and musical improvisation in specific local modes. Mugham is a modal system. ...

. Amirov's symphonic mugams were based on classical folk pieces and were performed by many renowned symphony orchestras throughout the world, such as the

Houston Symphony Orchestra The Houston Symphony is an American orchestra based in Houston, Texas. The orchestra is resident at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. History The first concert of what was to become the Houston Symphony took place on June 21, 1 ...

conducted by

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British-born American conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra. H ...

Post-Soviet era

In the present era, classical music in Azerbaijan must contend and co-exist with a dominant culture of

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

. Specialist music education at establishments such as the

Asaf Zeynally Music School in Baku The Baku Musical College (now the Azerbaijan National Conservatory Music College) is a state college of professional secondary education in Baku and one of the leading secondary musical schools of Azerbaijan. General information Asaf Zeynalli Baku ...

and

provide music teaching to classical musicians. Modern day advocates of Western classical music in Azerbaijani include

Farhad Badalbeyli Farhad Shamsi oghlu Badalbeyli (born 1947) is an Azerbaijani pianist and composer. He was awarded the honorary titles, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan SSR (1972), People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR (1978), the People's Artist of the USSR (1990) ...

Fidan Gasimova Fidan Akram gizi Gasimova (born 17 June 1947) is an Azerbaijani operatic soprano who was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1988. Life Gasimova was born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR. Her parents, Akram Gasimov and Tukezban Gasimova, were lovers o ...

and Franghiz Alizadeh.

Festivals and venues

Azerbaijan is host to many major

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

s, festivals and venues. The

Gabala International Music Festival Gabala International Music Festival is an annual festival of classical music held every summer beginning in 2009 in Qabala, Gabala, Azerbaijan. The festival is organised with the support of Heydar Aliyev Foundation at the initiative of the rector ...

and

Uzeyir Hajibeyov International Music Festival The Uzeyir Hajibeyov International Music Festival is held in September, since 2009, in Azerbaijan. Musical events are held in several cities of Azerbaijan, and the main ceremonies take place in Baku. History Since 1995, September 18 (Uzeyir Haj ...

have presented annual music programmes of international status since the early 21st century.

Notable Performers

Composers

Vasif Adigozalov Vasif Zulfugar oghlu Adigozalov (alternative spellings: Adigezalov, Adygozal) (; 28 July 1935 – 15 September 2006) was one of Azerbaijan's most distinguished composers. He is the son of khananda Zulfu Adigozalov, brother of violinist and sing ...

* Shafiga Akhundova *

Agshin Alizadeh Agshin Aligulu Alizade (; May 22, 1937 in Baku – May 3, 2014 in Baku) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani composer, People's Artist of the Azerbaijani SSR (1987). Alizade made a significant contribution to the development of the Azerbaijani ballet. H ...

* Franghiz Alizadeh * Fikrat Amirov *

Afrasiyab Badalbeyli Afrasiyab Badal bey oghlu Badalbeyli () (19 April 1907, in Baku – 6 January 1976, in Baku) was a Soviet Azerbaijani composer, with noble Iranian origins (he was the descendant of Bahman Mirza and Abbas Mirza), conductor and music critic, autho ...

* Tofig Bakikhanov * Faraj Garayev *

Gara Garayev Gara Abulfaz oghlu Garayev (February 5, 1918May 13, 1982) was a prominent Soviet Azerbaijani composer. Garayev wrote nearly 110 musical pieces,Azad Sharifov"Remembering Gara Garayev: A Legend in His Own Time - 80th Jubilee" in Azerbaijan Inter ...

Tofig Guliyev Tofig Alakbar oglu Guliyev (; 7 November 1917, Baku – 4 October 2000, Baku) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani composer, pianist, and conductor. Biography Tofig Guliyev was born in Baku, in the family of salary worker. He became a student of the Aze ...

Soltan Hajibeyov Soltan Ismayil oghlu Hajibeyov (5 May 1919 – 19 September 1974) was an Azerbaijani and Soviet composer. He was awarded the People's Artist of the USSR on 26 July 1973.

Zulfugar Hajibeyov Zulfugar bey Abdulhuseyn oghlu Hajibeyov (, 17 April 1884 – 30 September 1950) was an Azerbaijani composer and a member of a family noted for its musical talents. He was one of the founders of the Azerbaijan Music Comedy Theater ...

Jovdat Hajiyev Ahmad Jovdat Ismayil oglu Hajiyev (June 18, 1917 - January 18, 2002) was one of the major Azerbaijani composers of the Soviet period. He is remembered for his monumental orchestral works, having been the first Azerbaijani to compose a symphony (1 ...

Rauf Hajiyev Rauf Soltan oghlu Hajiyev (15 May 192219 September 1995) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani composer and politician. He was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR (1978). He was Chairman of the Union of Composers of the Azerbaijan ...

Jahangir Jahangirov Jahangir Shirgasht oglu Jahangirov (Azerbaijani: ; 20 July 1921 – 25 March 1992) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani composer, conductor and choirmaster; he was named People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1964. Biography Jahangir Jahangirov was bo ...

Haji Khanmammadov Haji Dadash oglu Khanmammadov () (June 15, 1918, Derbent – April 7, 2005, Baku) was an Azerbaijani and Soviet composer. He is best known for writing the first concertos for the Azeri stringed folk instruments tar and kamancheh. Early life Khan ...

* Muslim Magomayev *

Arif Malikov Arif Malikov (also Melikov; Baku, 13 September 1933 – Baku, 9 May 2019) was an Azerbaijani composer. He graduated from the Baku Conservatory as a music composer in 1958. He shot to fame in 1961 when his first major composition " Legend of Lov ...

Eldar Mansurov Eldar Bahram oglu Mansurov ( / , ; born February 28, 1952) is an Azerbaijani musician, composer and songwriter. Early life He is a member of the Mansurov family, which has contributed immeasurably to the advancement of Azerbaijani composers ...

* Arif Mirzayev *

Khayyam Mirzazade Khayyam Hadi oglu Mirzazade (; 5 October 1935 – 30 July 2018) was an Azerbaijani composer and professor. Biography Khayyam Mirzazade was born on October 5, 1935, in Baku. In 1957, he graduated from Azerbaijan State Conservatoire and from 1957, ...

Niyazi Niyazi Zulfugar oghlu Taghizade Hajibeyov (; 20 August 1912 – 2 August 1984) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani conductor and composer. People's Artist of the USSR (1959) and Hero of Socialist Labour (1982). Early life Niyazi was born on August 20, ...

* Said Rustamov *

Emin Sabitoglu Emin Sabitoglu (, real name Emin Sabit oghlu Mahmudov (); 2 November 1937 – 18 November 2000) was a Soviet Azerbaijani composer, author of a lot of well-known Azerbaijani songs and music for films. People's Artist of Azerbaijan. Biography Emi ...

Ali Salimi Ali Salimi (, ; 1922 in Baku – 22 April 1997 in Tabriz) was an Iranian Azerbaijani musician, composer and tar player. He had been based in Tehran for the last few decades where he made significant contribution to promotion and development of A ...

Huseyngulu Sarabski Huseyngulu Sarabski (), born Hüseynqulu Malik oğlu Rzayev (20 March 1879 – 16 February 1945), was an Azerbaijani opera singer (tenor), composer, playwright, stage actor, theatre director, and musician (tar). Early life Sarabski was born to p ...

Asya Sultanova Asya Bakhish Sultanova (16 October 1923 – 22 November 2021) was an Azerbaijani composer who is best known for her works for children and her collaboration with singer Muslim Magomayev. Biography Sultanova was born in Baku. Her father was a geol ...

* Alakbar Taghiyev *

Asaf Zeynalli Asaf Zeynalabdin oglu Zeynally (), also spelled Zeynalli (5 April 1909, Derbent – 27 October 1932, Baku), was an Azerbaijani composer. Early life Asaf Zeynally was the third child of the gardener Zeynalabdin and his wife Asband. He grew up in ...

Conductors

Elnara Kerimova Elnara Nadir gizi Kerimova, also spelled Karimova (; born 1962 in Baku) is an Azerbaijani and Turkey, Turkish conductor and choir, chorus master, People's Artiste of Azerbaijan (2018). Contributions Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Elnara Kerimova studi ...

Orchestras

* Azerbaijan State Orchestra of Folk Instruments *

Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra The Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra (Azerbaijani language, Azeri: ''Hacıbəyov adına Azərbaycan Dövlət Simfonik Orkestri'') was formed in 1920 being one of the first orchestras in the Soviet Union, at the request of composer Uz ...

References

{{reflist, 30em Classical music in Azerbaijan classical