 Uzeyir Hajibeyov (1885–1948) is a famous composer of Azerbaijani classical music. |
Uzeyir Hajibeyov is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical music. He composed the music of the national anthem of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which was re-adopted after Azerbaijan regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Hajibeyov also composed the anthem used by Azerbaijan during the former Soviet Union period. He was the first composer of an opera in the Islamic world. He composed the first oriental opera Leyli and Majnun in 1908 and since then he is revised for adapting the written masterpiece to the theatre.
In 2013, Google celebrated Hajibeyov's 128th Birthday with Google Doodle on its Azerbaijani version.
Since 1995, September 18 (Uzeyir Hajibeyov's birthday) was celebrated as National Music Day in Azerbaijan. Beginning in 2009, it was decided to hold the International Music Festival devoted to well-known Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov's creativity.
The 17th Uzeyir Hajibeyov International Music Festival was organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture last month. The event brought together leading Azerbaijani artists and distinguished performers from Türkiye, the US, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Republic of Korea, and other countries.