The Most Famous
MUSICIANS from Azerbaijan
This page contains a list of the greatest Azerbaijani Musicians. The pantheon dataset contains 3,175 Musicians, 5 of which were born in Azerbaijan. This makes Azerbaijan the birth place of the 43rd most number of Musicians behind Lithuania, and Lebanon.
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Azerbaijani Musicians of all time. This list of famous Azerbaijani Musicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Mstislav Rostropovich (1927 - 2007)
With an HPI of 68.16, Mstislav Rostropovich is the most famous Azerbaijani Musician. His biography has been translated into 59 different languages on wikipedia.
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 1927 – 27 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enlarged the cello repertoire more than any cellist before or since. He inspired and premiered over 100 pieces, forming long-standing friendships and artistic partnerships with composers including Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutosławski, Olivier Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Norbert Moret, Andreas Makris, Leonard Bernstein, Aram Khachaturian, and Benjamin Britten. Rostropovich was internationally recognized as a staunch advocate of human rights, and was awarded the 1974 Award of the International League of Human Rights. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya and had two daughters, Olga and Elena Rostropovich. He received numerous accolades, including a Polar Music Prize.
2. Vagif Mustafazadeh (1940 - 1979)
With an HPI of 54.42, Vagif Mustafazadeh is the 2nd most famous Azerbaijani Musician. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Vagif Mustafazadeh (Azerbaijani: Vaqif Mustafazadə; March 16, 1940 – December 16, 1979), also known as Vaqif Mustafa-Zadeh, was a Soviet-Azerbaijani jazz pianist and composer, acclaimed for fusing jazz and the traditional Azerbaijani folk music known as mugham. According to many world famous jazz musicians, Mustafazadeh is one of the pioneers and "the architect of jazz in Azerbaijan".
3. Bella Davidovich (b. 1928)
With an HPI of 50.57, Bella Davidovich is the 3rd most famous Azerbaijani Musician. Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Bella Mikhaylovna Davidovich (Бэлла Миха́йловна Давидо́вич; born July 16, 1928) is a Soviet and American pianist.
4. Aziza Mustafa Zadeh (b. 1969)
With an HPI of 50.49, Aziza Mustafa Zadeh is the 4th most famous Azerbaijani Musician. Her biography has been translated into 30 different languages.
Aziza Mustafa Zadeh (Azerbaijani: Əzizə Mustafazadə; born December 19, 1969) is an Azerbaijani singer, pianist, and composer who plays a fusion of jazz and mugham (a traditional improvisational style of Azerbaijan) with classical and avant-garde influences.
5. Veronika Dudarova (1916 - 2009)
With an HPI of 47.89, Veronika Dudarova is the 5th most famous Azerbaijani Musician. Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Veronika Borisovna Dudarova (December 5 [O.S. November 22] 1916 – January 15, 2009) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, the first woman to succeed as conductor of symphony orchestras in the 20th century. She became a conductor of the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra in 1947, and led this and other orchestras for sixty years. In 1991, she founded the Symphony Orchestra of Russia.
6. Jovdat Hajiyev (1917 - 2002)
With an HPI of 44.65, Jovdat Hajiyev is the 6th most famous Azerbaijani Musician. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Ahmad Jovdat Ismayil oglu Hajiyev (June 18, 1917 - January 18, 2002) was one of the major Azerbaijani composers of the Soviet period. He is remembered for his monumental orchestral works, having been the first Azerbaijani to compose a symphony (1936). He studied under Azerbaijan's Founder of Composed Music, Uzeyir Hajibeyov and under Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
People
Pantheon has 6 people classified as Azerbaijani musicians born between 1916 and 1969. Of these 6, 2 (33.33%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Azerbaijani musicians include Bella Davidovich, and Aziza Mustafa Zadeh. The most famous deceased Azerbaijani musicians include Mstislav Rostropovich, Vagif Mustafazadeh, and Veronika Dudarova. As of April 2024, 1 new Azerbaijani musicians have been added to Pantheon including Bella Davidovich.
Living Azerbaijani Musicians
Go to all RankingsDeceased Azerbaijani Musicians
Go to all Rankings
Mstislav Rostropovich
1927 - 2007
HPI: 68.16
Vagif Mustafazadeh
1940 - 1979
HPI: 54.42
Veronika Dudarova
1916 - 2009
HPI: 47.89
Jovdat Hajiyev
1917 - 2002
HPI: 44.65
Newly Added Azerbaijani Musicians (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Musicians were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 4 most globally memorable Musicians since 1700.
