Today is the memorial day of Fikret Amirov

Today is the memorial day of the outstanding Azerbaijani composer, People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the USSR State Prize Fikret Amirov.

As reported by BAKU.WS, he was born on November 22, 1922, in Ganja in the family of the famous singer, tarist, and composer Meshadi Jamil Amirov.

He studied in Ganja at the music school in the tar class, then at the Baku Music School in the composition class. In 1939, he enrolled in the Baku Conservatory, where he studied composition under B.I. Zeidman and the fundamentals of Azerbaijani folk music under Uzeyir Hajibeyov.

After the war began, F. Amirov went to the front, but was demobilized after being wounded. From 1942 to 1945, he held the position of director and artistic director of the philharmonic, as well as director of the music school in Ganja.

In 1945, he continued his studies and three years later graduated from the conservatory, presenting the opera "Ulduz" as his diploma work. From 1946 to 1947, he was the artistic director of the Azerbaijan Philharmonic named after M. Magomayev, and from 1956 to 1959 - the director of the Azerbaijan Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Fikret Amirov wrote a large number of works in various genres. His most famous symphonic compositions are "Azerbaijani Capriccio" (1961), "Gulistan - Bayati-Shiraz" (1968), "Legend of Nasimi" (1977), Concerto for Violin and Piano with Orchestra (1948), the ballet "One Thousand and One Nights" (1979), and others.

In his work, the composer actively used Azerbaijani folk melodies and rhythms, principles of mugham, improvisation, organically combining them with variational and polyphonic development.

He was secretary of the boards of the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan (since 1956) and the Union of Composers of the USSR (since 1975). Corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR (1980).

The outstanding composer passed away on February 20, 1984. He is buried in the Alley of Honor in Baku.

His name is borne by the Azerbaijan State Song and Dance Ensemble, the Ganja State Philharmonic. In Baku, Ganja, and Sumgayit, there are places and music schools bearing his name. A street in Baku (formerly Millionnaya, later - Darwin, Voroshilov) and the Conference and Concert Center of Khazar University (Baku, 122 Bashir Safaroglu Street) are named after F. Amirov.

On November 22, 2006, a memorial plaque was installed on building No. 2 on Tarlan Aliyarbekov Street in Baku, where the outstanding Azerbaijani composer lived and worked for many years.

It should be noted that in November 2022, the 100th anniversary of F. Amirov's birth was celebrated. As part of the music festival from November 12 to 23, a series of concerts, performances, and related events were held in Baku and Ganja. On November 22, a ceremonial anniversary evening dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the composer's birth was held at the Heydar Aliyev Palace. On November 23, the composer's ballet "1001 Nights" was performed at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.

It should be noted that in 2021, during the 41st UNESCO General Conference in Paris, F. Amirov's anniversary was also included in the program of anniversaries of the world organization for 2022-2023, which became a manifestation of high appreciation of the Azerbaijani composer's art at the international level.