About Zulfugar Baghirov
Zulfugar Baghirov (often called Mr. Z by his students) is a jazz saxophone and clarinet performer and an educator with over 20 years of professional experience. He is an adjunct professor of music at Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) Woodbridge and Alexandria, VA campuses and a music faculty at Montgomery College in Silver Spring, MD.
Zulfugar teaches students of all levels in both jazz and classical styles. He offers classes in advanced jazz improvisation techniques to those wanting to refine their improvisation skills, as well as one-on-one training in basic musicianship, music theory, composition, music appreciation, and jazz history to all interested students. Zulfugar also prepares students for various auditions, competitions, and college entrance examinations. Many of his students were admitted into jazz or classical music programs at various colleges, some with scholarships meriting their musical talents.
Zulfugar regularly performs both as a group leader and a sideman at jazz venues in Washington, D.C. and New York, NY. In D.C., he performs with various local jazz bands at Blues Alley, Creative Cauldron, Swedenborg Center, and Marvin Jazz Club. In New York, he is a frequent performer at New York University’s (NYU) concert scene. He also performed at the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club with well-known pianist and composer Kenny Werner and in a big band at Jazz at Lincoln Center with world-renowned vibraphonist Stefon Harris. In 2007, he and his “ZJAZZ Quartet” were invited to the Baku International Jazz Festival in Azerbaijan. In 2009, he played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with his “Zulfugar Baghirov Quartet.” Zulfugar has several recordings, among which a “QaraBag” album represents his free interpretation of classical music works of both of his grandfathers (Kara Karayev and Zakir Baghirov) and an uncle (Faradj Karayev), renown Soviet and Azerbaijani composers.
Zulfugar holds a Bachelor of Arts in classical clarinet performance from Istanbul University State Conservatory and a professional music diploma with honors (magna cum laude) from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He received his Master of Music degree in jazz saxophone performance from NYU. At Berklee, he was a student of saxophonists Bill Pierce and George Garzone and clarinetist Harry Skoler. At NYU, among his private instructors were saxophonist Mark Turner, guitarist John Scofield, and pianist Jean-Michel Pilc. Zulfugar is fluent in Russian, Turkish, and Azerbaijani.
