Farhad Badalbeyli

Biography

Chairman of the Jury of the “Sounds of the Land of Fire” International Music Competition (2022)

Farhad Shamsi oghlu Badalbeyli is an eminent Azerbaijani pianist, educator, and cultural figure. He is a People’s Artist of the USSR, Professor, and the Rector of the Baku Music Academy named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli. He was born in 1947 in Baku into a prominent artistic family.

He studied piano at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory (now BMA) from 1965 to 1969 under Professor Mikhail Brenner, and completed his postgraduate studies at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Professor Bella Davidovich (1969–1971). He is a laureate of prestigious international competitions, including the Smetana Competition (Czechoslovakia, 1967) and the Vianna da Motta Competition (Portugal, 1968).

Badalbeyli has performed in more than 20 countries worldwide, including notable venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York and with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. His repertoire spans from Bach to Prokofiev and includes Azerbaijani composers as well as his own compositions. His recordings have been released on respected labels such as Melodiya and Naxos.

Since 1991, he has served as Rector of the Baku Music Academy, and since 1989, he has led the Union of Azerbaijani Musicians. Since 2009, he has also been the Artistic Director of the Gabala International Music Festival.

Among his many accolades are the Azerbaijani state orders “Shohrat” (Glory, 1997), “Istiglal” (Independence, 2017), and “Sharaf” (Honor, 2022), the French Order of Arts and Letters, the State Prize of Azerbaijan, and the CIS Inter-State Prize “Stars of the Commonwealth” (2015).

In 2022, Professor Farhad Badalbeyli served as Chairman of the Jury of the “Sounds of the Land of Fire” International Music Competition held in Vienna, Austria.