Today is Uzeyir Hajibeyov’s birthday
September 18, 1885 – November 23, 1948
He is a prominent Azerbaijani composer, music-scientist, publicist, dramatist, pedagogue, and public figure, founder of modern Azerbaijani professional music and national opera.
In 1920, the composer’s name was included in the list of 59 people to be shot. As a result of the efforts of Uzeyir Hacibyov’s brother-in-law, Hanefi Teregulov and Nariman Narimanov, the list was canceled and the composer’s name was removed.
Uzeyir bey Hacıbeyov used the signatures of “U”, “Filankes”, “Behmankes” in his works and writings. He is the first person to record more than 300 folk songs in Azerbaijani music history. His brothers Zulfugar Hajibeyov and Jeyhun Hajibeyli, his friends from seminary, intellectuals of that time, Azerbaijani masters Huseyn Arablinski, Huseyngulu Sarabski, Abdurrahimbey Hagverdiyev, Hanafi Teregulov, and others helped him to compose a national opera in Azerbaijani language.
In 1921, U.Hajibeyov organized the first music school for Azerbaijani students in Baku – Azerbaijan State Turkish Music School (later it turned into a technical school). In 1927 he published the first collection of “Azerbaijani Turkish folk songs” with Muslim Magomayev. Uzeyir Hajibeyov is also the founder of the first folk instruments orchestra under the Azerbaijan Radio Committee in 1931.
