Elmira Nazirova

Elmira Mirza Rza-kyzy Nazirova (Azerbaijani: Elmira Mirzərza qızı Nəzirova; 30 November 1928 – 23 January 2014) was an Azerbaijani composer. Born to a Georgian Jewish family, she was a child prodigy who excelled at music and trained at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory for several years. At 14, she became one of the youngest members of the Composers Union of Azerbaijan. Nazirova performed abroad, where her talent was recognised by prominent musicians, and she pursued an education at the Moscow Conservatory. Through her education there, she met and became lifelong friends with Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich, having significant impact on his work, particularly his Tenth Symphony.

Nazirova is regarded as one of the best Azerbaijani and one of the first female composers in Azerbaijan. She taught at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory for decades, with pupils including Aida Huseynova. In 1990, she moved to Israel, where she died in 2014.