Composer - Franghiz Ali-Zadeh
Franghiz Ali-Zadeh was born in Baku, Azerbaijan. She studied the piano and composition at the Baku Conservatory, from which she graduated as a pianist in 1970, and as a composer in 1972. From 1973-1976 she was Kara Karaev’s research assistant, and in 1989 completed her doctoral thesis, „Orchestration in Works by Azerbaijani Composers“.
In 1976 she began to teach musicology at the Baku Conservatory, where she has been Professor of Contemporary Music and the History of Orchestral Styles since 1990. From 1993 to 1996 she conducted the choir of the opera house in Mersin, Turkey, and subsequently taught the piano and music theory for two years at the Mersin Conservatory. In 1998/99 Ali-Zadeh worked again in Baku. Since then she has lived primarily in Germany.
Azerbaijani Composers’ Union, and in 1990 was accorded the title of “Outstanding Artist“ by the Azerbaijan SSR. In November 2000 she received the honorary title “People’s Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, 2008 she was named “UNESCO Artist for piece”.
Ali-Sade wrote Solo-, Chamber-, Ensemble and Ochestral works and they were intensively supported by artists such as Mstislaw Rostropowitsch, Yo-Yo Ma, Evely Glenie, Ivan Monighetti, David Geringas, Julius Berger, Wu Man, Alexander Ivashkin, Alim Qasimov, Vladimir Tonkha and Elsbeth Moser. Her works are performed by Ensembles and Orchestras all over the world.
Inimitably Ali-Sade succeeds in combining the musical tradition of her home country with the contemporary music of the occidental world. Her music, rich in contrast, reflects lightness and intensity, playful light heartedness, medidative thoughts, tender transparency and strong colours, quiet simplicity, turbulent virtuosity as well as meditation and ecstasy. On the one hand the composer reflects the religious and cultural conflict between orient and occident , between national tradition and western modern spirit, on the other side she converts her personal tensions, resulting from her own life, into music.
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