BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 28. Azerbaijani composer, musicologist, and Ph.D. in art history, Khadija Zeynalova, based in Germany, has been elected as an honorary member of the German Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights (GEMA), following a decision by the organization's board of trustees and management, Trend reports.
According to the State Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Zeynalova, a member of GEMA since 2007, will officially hold the title of honorary member beginning January 1, 2025. She is the first Azerbaijani female composer to receive this distinction. Currently, GEMA has approximately 90,000 members, including 5,000 honorary members.
Khadija Zeynalova is also an associate professor at the Detmold Conservatory and the University of Paderborn in Germany, as well as the founder and artistic director of the “Bridge of Sound” orchestra and the International Music Festival “Harmony of Sound.”
She is a member of the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan and the International Alliance of Women in Music. Zeynalova has been awarded the Medal of the Republic of Azerbaijan for her contributions to diaspora activities. She was named Best Composer of the Year for 2024 in Germany. Her works have been performed in the US, Germany, Austria, the UK, France, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Oman, Türkiye, Greece, and many other countries.