A vivid Oriental coloring, profound philosophical content, unrestrained ease, and a superb sense of form mark the style of the Azerbaijanian composer Akshin Alizadeh. In the opinion of connoisseurs, these features make his music an outstanding artistic phenomenon.

Akshin Alizadeh, one of today's most appreciated contemporary composers of Azerbaijanian music, was born in 1937. Graduated from the composition class of Jevdet Gajiev at the Baku Conservatoire in 1962, he is the winner of the Azerbaijan State Prize and a Prize of the Azerbaijan YCL.

His career had a spectacular start. A piano sonata, his debut as a student, won for him a first diploma at a national competition of young composers in 1962. He was awarded two more first diplomas: at the Tran Caucasian Spring Festival and, in 1965, for his First Symphony. Almost all of his major compositions have been accorded major awards.

Babek is undoubtedly one of the most important creations among eastern world's ballet repertoire and a great artistic achievement for its composer, Akshin Alizadeh. The plot of the ballet reminds of the uprising of Spartacus. It is about the hero Babek, a legendary herdsman and warrior, his tragic love and death. The ballet's very expressive music contains fiery men's dances, battle scenes, and deeply touching love duets, all that makes oriental music strongly appealing to European listeners.