International Mugham Center pays tribute to nation's first professional female pianist

By Azernews

Laman Ismayilova

This year marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of Khadija Gayibova, who entered the history of Azerbaijani music as the first professional female pianist.

International Mugham Center has hosted a musical evening dedicated to the memory of the prominent pianist, Azernews reports.

Khadija Gayibova was known as the first professional female pianist of Azerbaijan and the first talented piano performer of mughams.

She was born into the family of a well-known cleric, Osman Muftizadeh, in Tiflis on 24 May 1893. He wanted to give his daughter a perfect education and see her as a professional musician.

Distinguished by her music talent, Khadija received her first musical education at St. Nina girls' school in Tbilisi.

In 1911, Khadija completed her secondary education with the Golden Cross badge and was awarded a diploma with a golden frame after attending a special course in the piano class of Professor N. Nikolayev.

In 1919, Gayibova moved to Baku with her family. She was one of the founders of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory in 1920. Furthermore, she became head of the Department of Oriental Music in the Azerbaijan People's Commissariat for Education. During this time, Gayibova organized short-term piano and drama classes for women. In 1927, she was admitted to the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire specialising as a composer.

As a result of Stalin' repressions in the 1930s, lots of Azerbaijani intellectuals, including poets, writers, teachers, cultural and artistic figures were arrested and executed. Among those victims was also Khadija Gayibova. She was released three months later and the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. In the following year she was employed by the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire to research Azerbaijan's folk musical legacy.

Nurida Sultanova, the successor of Khadija Gayibova, spoke at the event and expressed her gratitude to all the performers and those who contributed to the celebration of her great-grandmother's anniversary.

Next, the soloists of the Mugham Center thrilled the listeners with classical music pieces, mughams and folk songs.