Biography
Fikret Mashadi Jamil oghlu Amirov (Azerbaijani: Fikrət Məşədi Cəmil oğlu Əmirov; November 22, 1922, Ganja – February 20, 1984, Baku) was a prominent Soviet and Azerbaijani composer. Fikret Amirov grew up in an atmosphere of Azerbaijani folk music. His father, Mashadi Jamil Amirov, was a famous mugam singer ("xanəndə"), who played tar and composed, including the 1915 opera Seyfal mulk.
During his childhood and early adolescence, Fikret began composing pieces for the piano. Upon his graduation from the Ganja Music College, Amirov entered the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire, now known as the Baku Music Academy, where he was a student of Boris Zeidman and Uzeyir Hajibeyov.
In 1941, when Nazi Germany attacked the USSR, Amirov, 19 at the time, was drafted to the Soviet army. He was wounded near Voronezh, hospitalized and demobilized from the military service, returning to Baku to continue his studies at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire.
Amirov's music was strongly influenced by Azeri folk melodies. He created a new genre called symphonic mugam. Amirov's symphonic mugams were based on classical folk pieces and were performed by many renowned symphony orchestras throughout the world, such as the Houston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
Amirov was a prolific composer. His most famous pieces include symphonic works such as "Shur" (1946), Kurd Ovshari (1949), "Azerbaijan Capriccio" (1961), "Gulustan Bayati-Shiraz" (1968), "The Legend of Nasimi" (1977), "To the Memory of the Heroes of the Great National War" (1944), "Double Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra" (1948) etc.
His ballets include "Nizami" (1947) and Arabian Nights, which premiered in 1979. Amirov wrote the opera "Sevil" in 1953.
He also wrote a number of pieces for the piano including "Ballad," "Ashug's Song," "Nocturne," "Humoreska," "Lyrical Dance," "Waltz," "Lullaby" and "Toccata." He also wrote numerous film scores.
Michelle Kwan, World Champion Ice Skater from the U.S. used Fikret Amirov's symphonic piece "Gulustan Bayati-Shiraz" in her skating program "Taj Mahal" in 1996.
Filmography
Ratings
Information
Known ForSound
GenderMale
Birthday1922-11-22
Deathday1984-02-20 (61 years old)
Birth PlaceGanja, Azerbaijan
ChildrenSevil Amirova, Camil Amirov
FatherMashadi Jamil Amirov
MotherDürdana Amirova
CitizenshipsSoviet Union
Also Known AsFikrət Əmirov, Фикрет Амиров
AwardsUSSR State Prize, Order of the Red Banner of Labour, Stalin Prize, People's Artist of the USSR, State Prize of the Azerbaijan SSR, People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR, Hero of Socialist Labour, Order of Lenin
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
- Fikrat Amirov
- Filmography
- Information
- Related Persons