Born: 29 May 1947 in Baku, Azerbaijan

Franghiz Ali-Zadeh’s work endeavours to bridge the space between her home of Azerbaijan, and the extended Near East, with the Western Avant-Garde.

In 1980, she received the Azerbaijani Composer’s Union annual award and has since been inundated with accolades such as her 2000 honorary title of the People’s Artists of the Republic of Azerbaijan and, in 2008, the UNESCO Artist for Peace.

Her work include Habil Sayagi, for cello and prepared piano, Crossing II, for eleven instruments, Silk Road, a concerto for percussion and chamber orchestra, and Nasimi-Passion for baritone, choir and orchestra. Globally, performers such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Evelyn Glennie, Ivan Monighetti, David Geringas, Julius Berger, Wu Man, Alexander Ivashkin, Alim Qasimov, Vladimir Tonkha, and Elsbeth Moser have championed Ali-Zadeh’s music.

Ali-Zadeh’s symphonic piece, NIZAMI Cosmology, drew inspiration from the poet Nizami Ganjavi and received its world premiere from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kirill Karabits. The piece worked to blend the folk music of Ali Zadeh’s native country and western symphonic traditions.