Born: 15 December 1912, Azerbaijan
Died: 5 July 1975
Country most active: Azerbaijan
Also known as: Ağabacı Rzayev, Ağabacı İsmayıl qızı Rzayeva [birth name], Агабаджи Исмаил-кызы Рзаева, Агабаджи Рзаева, Agabadzhi Rzayeva
Azerbaijani composer Aghabaji Ismayil gizi Rzayeva received many honors, including the Honored Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR (1960), Order of the Red Banner of Labour and the Order of the Badge of Honour (1972).
She graduated from the Baku Pedagogical College in 1929, then taught in Saray, Kurdakhani and Mashtaga for several years. Rzayeva took music lessons from composer Said Rustamov, was instructed in the mugham musical style by Mirza Mansur Mansurov and studied composition with Uzeyir Hajibeyov at Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. A year later, she was admitted to the Hajibeyov’s Azerbaijan Folk Instruments Orchestra. In 1938, she participated in the Decade of Azerbaijani Art in Moscow. She is the first female composer to receive professional music education in Azerbaijan.
From 1935 to 1944, Rzayeva played the tar (a type of oud) in the Azerbaijan Folk Instruments Orchestra. She also served as music editor of Azerbaijan Radio.
Rzayeva’s first major musical work was 1941’s “Vətənpərvərlik Marşı”, written for an orchestra of folk instruments. She also wrote songs and romances, the musical comedy “Mübahisə etmə” (1965) and plays for the string quartet of the orchestra of folk instruments. More than 60 of her songs are dedicated to children. Rzayeva also composed seven romances to Nasimi poems.
She was elected deputy to the Baku Governorate in 1950, 1953 and 1955, and was a member of the Supreme Soviet in 1963.