Rauf Abdullayev, born Rauf Canbaxış oğlu Abdullayev on October 29, 1937, in Baku, Azerbaijan, is a notable conductor. He directed the Azerbaijani State Opera and Ballet Theatre M.F. Akhundov from 1966 to 1984, conducting works like Keroghlu by U. Hadjibeyli and Prince Igor by A. Borodin. From 1984, Abdullayev led the Azerbaijani State Symphony Orchestra Uz. Hadjibeyov, introducing pieces such as Mozart's, Verdi's, and Brahms's requiems in 2003, 2005, and 2006, and Mahler’s Symphonies 1, 5, and 10 in 2006. He also served as a conductor in Turkey from 1991 to 1997. Abdullayev co-founded the Gara Garayev International Contemporary Music Festival in 1986 and received the title of People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1982 and the Order of Independence in 2017.
