Nazim Rzaev

Nazim Asadulla oghlu Rzayev (, February 14, 1925 – May 2, 2006) was an Azerbaijani conductor, head of the chamber orchestra of the Azerbaijani television and radio, People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR, laureate of the USSR and Azerbaijan State Prizes, professor.

Biography Nazim Rzayev was born on February 14, 1925, in Baku. In 1951, he graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory on violin. After returning to Baku, he worked as an orchestra concertmaster at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and as a chamber class teacher at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. In 1958 he switched from performing to conducting. A year later, he took an active part in the preparation of the Decade of Azerbaijani Literature and Art in Moscow.

Rzayev was an intern at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1961–1963 under the direction of People's Artist of the USSR Aleksandr Melik-Pashayev. After returning to Baku, he headed the opera studio of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. Under his leadership, Domenico Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto, Uzeyir Hajibeyov's Koroghlu and Fikret Amirov's Sevil operas were performed in the studio. Rzayev also took part in the activities of the Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra. He conducted works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Strauss, Gara Garayev, Fikret Amirov and other composers.

He was also engaged in pedagogical activities, and since 1952 had taught at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. He became an associate professor

Rzayev died on May 2, 2006, in Eskişehir.

Awards People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR – June 29, 1977 Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR – April 29, 1958 USSR State Prize – November 6, 1980 Azerbaijan SSR State Prize – April 26, 1974 Order of the Badge of Honour – June 9, 1959 Honorary Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR – December 9, 1966; July 7, 1967; February 24, 1979; June 14, 1985