composer, conductor and music critic; the author of music and the libretto of the first Azerbaijani Ballet and the first ballet in the Muslim East Tofig Bakikhanov (born 1930), composer Amina Figarova (born 1964), jazz composer and pianist Salman Gambarov (born 1959), composer and jazz pianist Gara Garayev (1918–1982), composer Tofig Guliyev (1917–2000), composer Soltan Hajibeyov (1919–1974), composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov (1885–1948), composer, conductor, scientist, publicist, playwright, teacher, translator, and social figure; the first Muslim author of an opera Rauf Hajiyev (1922–1985), composer and politician Muslim Magomayev (1885–1937), composer, one of the founders of Azerbaijani classical music Arif Malikov (1933–2019), composer Eldar Mansurov (born 1952), composer Vagif Mustafazadeh (1940–1979), composer and jazz pianist and the founder of Azerbaijani jazz Emin Sabitoglu (1937–2000), composer, music editor Ali Salimi (1922–1997), composer and tar player Alakbar Taghiyev (1922–1981), composer Aziza Mustafa Zadeh (born 1969), singer, composer, pianist Singers Safi al-Din al-Urmawi (1216–1294), musician and writer on the theory of music Abd al-Qadir Maraghi (d. 1435), musician and artist Aghakhan Abdullayev (born 1950), mugham singer Emin Agalarov (born 1979), singer Fatma Mukhtarova (1893–1972), opera singer (mezzo-soprano), Honorary Artist of Georgia, and People's Artist of Azerbaijan. Ahmed Agdamski (1884–1954), folk and opera singer Ogtay Aghayev (1935–2006), singer Franghiz Ahmadova (1928–2011), opera singer Shovkat Alakbarova (1922–1993), singer Sevda Alakbarzadeh (born 1977), jazz singer Dinara Aliyeva (born 1980), singer (soprano) Safura Alizadeh (born 1992), singer Rauf Atakishiyev (1925–1994), singer, pianist, singer–soloist and scholar Mashadibaba Aydamirov (1971–2011), meykhana performer Elchin Azizov (born 1975), opera singer and entertainer Rashid Behbudov (1915–1989), singer, actor Bulbul (1897–1961), folk and opera singer and one of the founders of Azerbaijani national musical theater Bulbuljan (1841–1927), mugham singer Polad Bulbuloglu (born 1945), singer-songwriter and actor Aghasalim Childagh (1930–2008), meykhana performer Brilliant Dadashova (born 1965), singer Rashad Daghly (born 1984), meykhana performer Huseyn Derya (1975–2014), rapper Jabbar Garyagdyoglu (1861–1944), mugham singer Eldar Gasimov (born 1989), singer and actor Fidan Gasimova (born 1947), opera singer Fidan Haciyeva (born 1976), opera singer Khuraman Gasimova (born 1951), opera singer Gulkhar Hasanova (1918–2005), opera singer Hajibaba Huseynov (1919–1993), mugham singer Mansum Ibrahimov (born 1960), mugham singer Lutfiyar Imanov (1928–2008), opera singer Akif Islamzade (born 1948), pop singer Flora Karimova (born 1941), pop music singer, civil rights activist, and People's Artist of Azerbaijan. Aygün Kazımova (born 1971), pop singer, actress Dilara Kazimova (born 1984), singer and actress Zeynab Khanlarova (born 1936), singer and politician Muslim Magomayev (1942–2008), opera, pop singer and