Today, September 18 is a birthday of the founder of the professional music in Azerbaijan, prominent composer, musicologist Uzeyir Hajibeyli. He was born on September 18, 1885 in Shusha (Aghjabadi village) and died in Baku on November 23, 1948.
Each year, 18 September is celebrated as National Music Day in the country according to the decree of national leader Heydar Aliyev signed in 1995, on the 110th anniversary of the composer.
He was an Azerbaijani composer, conductor, publicist, playwright, teacher, translator, and social figure from Azerbaijan. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani composed classical music and opera. Uzeyir Hajibeyli 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).
He was the first composer of an opera in the Islamic world.
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