Azerbaijan celebrates 101st anniversary of Niyazi
By Nazrin Gadimova
The 101st anniversary of prominent Azerbaijani conductor and composer, People's Artist of the USSR Niyazi Tagizade-Hajibeyov, most known as Niyazi, will be marked.
Open Doors Day will be held in the House Museum of Niyazi on August 20. Museum visitors will be informed about life and work of the prominent conductor and composer. Moreover, films devoted to the maestro will be shown to the audience.
Niyazi conducted many of the major symphony orchestras in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Bucharest, New York, Paris, Istanbul, London, Tehran, Beijing and Ulan-Bator and played an important role in making the Azerbaijani classical music known to the world.
Being also a talented composer, he splendidly synthesized the traditional Azerbaijani folk songs and mugam with western classical symphonic music.
Niyazi's most significant works include the "Khosrow and Shirin" opera (1942) and the "Chitra" ballet (1960). His symphonic mugam "Rast" achieved worldwide popularity and was included to the repertoire of many symphony orchestras around the world. In 1945, prominent Azerbaijani conductor together with his world famous uncle Uzeyir Hajibeyov acted as a composer in the "Arshin mal alan" musical comedy film.
Niyazi was the conductor and music director of the Azerbaijan State Symphony orchestra for 46 years, from 1938 to his death. He died on August 2, 1984.