Dadaş-zadə Kamilə Hüseyn qızı (born 1960) – Rector of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, Professor. Doctor of Arts (2024), Honored Art Worker of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2013), and a member of the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan (since 2007).
In 2024, she defended her doctoral dissertation in Art Studies (specialty 6213.01 – “Musical Art”) on the topic “The Musical Synergetics of the Azerbaijani Heroic Epic.”
She graduated with honors in 1983 from the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Azerbaijan State Conservatory (now the Baku Music Academy), majoring in the history and theory of music. From 1984 to 1992, she worked as a research associate at the Republican Ashiqs’ Union. Between 1992 and 1997, she taught at the school-studio affiliated with the Uzeyir Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Conservatory (now Baku Music Academy), where she later served as deputy director for scientific and methodological work from 1997 to 2001.
Starting in 2001, she worked as a senior lecturer at the Department of “Music History and Theory” at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, later becoming head of the “Folk Music and Musical Instruments” department and associate professor in 2003. In 2004, she became head of the “Musicology” department, and from 2015 to 2024, she led the “Music History and Theory” department.
By decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, dated November 27, 2024, Kamilə Dadaş-zadə was appointed Rector of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory.
Scientific Work and Research Interests
Kamilə Dadaş-zadə is the author of numerous scholarly works in the field of ethnomusicology. Her research primarily focuses on the musical-epic creativity of Turkic peoples.
In her monograph “The Sign System of the Dastan” (in Russian, 2004), she was the first in Azerbaijani ethnomusicology to apply semiotic analysis to the study of epic tunes. Some of her research also addresses historical and theoretical issues of ethnomusicology.
Her monograph “Ascension” (Uzeyir Hajibeyli and the Ashiq Art: An Intertextual Dialogue) (in Russian, 2014) explores the epic heritage of Turkic peoples as one of the main sources of Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s creative inspiration.
Dadaş-zadə was also the first in national musicology to apply methodological principles of synergetics, one of the most relevant approaches in contemporary science, to the study of epic melodies.
In her monograph “EPOS: Extraordinary Synergy of Epic Paradigms,” she investigates the nonlinear aspects of epic music.
Publications and Academic Recognition
Her articles on the musical-epic creativity of Turkic peoples have been published in journals indexed and abstracted in international scientific databases.
Dadaş-zadə has delivered papers at numerous international conferences held in Turkey, Germany, Russia, Spain, and other countries. Her presentations on the epic creativity of Turkic peoples have been featured at conferences organized by major international organizations such as ICTM, ISME, and ELIA.
She was also one of the authors of the report “Cultural Policy in Azerbaijan”, prepared by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the framework of the Council of Europe’s STAGE project.
Organizational and Academic Contributions
Through the initiative and leadership of Kamilə Dadaş-zadə and her department, the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts has hosted, for 23 consecutive years, the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Problems of Studying the Musical Culture of Turkic-speaking Peoples.”
Thanks to its significant scientific themes and broad subject scope, this conference has gained an important position in Azerbaijan’s humanitarian and academic sphere.