Lutfiyar Imanov

Lutfiyar Imanov was born in the Petropavlovka village of Sabirabad.

He studied at the Vocal Department of the Asef Zeynalli Music School (1957, A. Milovanov's class), and at the Theater Studies Faculty of the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts (1968).

He played his first role as a schoolboy, in the play "5 Manat Bride" on the stage of the Sabirabad State Musical Theater in 1943. At the age of 18, he became the head of the drama club. He worked as an artistic director at the Sabirabad city house of culture (1948). He was a choir soloist of the Azerbaijani television and radio (1954-1956), a soloist of the Azerbaijan State Variety Orchestra (1956-1957), and worked at the Azerbaijan State Musical Comedy Theater (1956-1959). He made his debut in Moscow in 1957 in the title role in Uzeyir Hajibeyov's opera "Koroglu". From 1958 until the end of his life, he was a soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. In 1965, he interned at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, and in 1975, at the La Scala Theater in Milan, Italy. Starting in 1968, he performed in the lead role in more than 30 operas.

He taught at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory (professor), and at the opera theaters of Istanbul and Izmir (1991-1995).

He was the chairman of the Union of Theater Workers of Azerbaijan (1987-1991).

He was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet.

Honored Artist (1959), People's Artist (1967), People's Artist of the USSR (1977), laureate of the orders "Shohrat" and "Istiglal" (1998), Lutfiyar Imanov died in 2008 and was buried in the Alley of Honor.