Dr Sanubar Bagirova, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
Sanubar Baghirova of the Azerbaijan National Academy of sciences has a PhD in ethnomusicology (1984, Institute for Art studies, Tashkent/Moscow), specializes in research into and promotion of the traditional musical heritage of Azerbaijan. She is the author of two UNESCO Candidature Files – on Azerbaijani mugham (2003) and on the art of Azerbaijani ashiqs (2009) included in the UNESCO lists of intangible cultural heritage of the world, and is the author of ‘Azerbaijani mugham’ (2007, Baku, in two volumes), ‘Azerbaijani music and musicians’ (2011, Baku), and of dozens of works published in Russian, English and Azerbaijani languages in different scientific journals, collections, and encyclopedias. In 2007 she was consultant for the BBC Radio 3 ‘World Routes’ program. In cooperation with the ARC Music Productions (2008, UK), Maison des cultures du Monde (2008, France), Bird Walk Records (Australia, 2010), Felmay (Italy, 2011), and the Ministry of culture & tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2008, 2009, 2011) she has released and supplied the liner notes for a number of the CDs of Azerbaijani music. Sanubar was involved in organization of the First International Symposium on Mugham held in Baku in 2009. She a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee on intangible cultural heritage, and a member and liaison officer of the ICTM (International Council on traditional music). She has spoken at dozens of international conferences on traditional music, and lectured on Azerbaijani music in the USA, UK, Germany, Italy and Taiwan.