Imamyar Hasanov was born in Baku (Azerbaijan). He is a virtuoso of the kamancha, a spike fiddle that is the ancestor of the violin and one of the most important instruments in Azeri music. Hasanov started playing the kamancha at the age of seven and eventually became the youngest soloist in Azerbaijan’s National Orchestra and National Dance Ensemble. He has a Master of Music Degree in Conducting from the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. During his conservatory studies, he worked with Professor Agha Jabrayil Abasaliyev and became interested in the art of mugham.
In addition to contributing to the preservation of traditional music, Imamyar Hasanov has created a body of work which has brought this music to the forefront of both the classical and world music fields.
Hasanov now resides in the United States of America. He has performed in Canada, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkey and the US and has collaborated with artists such as Chingiz Sadykhovm, Aziz Herawi, Pejman Hadadi and Hossein Omoumi.
On stage, Imamyar is a dynamic virtuoso who performs Azerbaijani and Middle Eastern traditional improvisations as well as European classics. His programs interweave acoustic music with informal talk.
Featuring one of the best classical, folk and dance music masterpieces from composers of Azerbaijan and traditional Azerbaijani mugham improvisations.
In 2013, Imamyar Hasanov taught music from Azerbaijan as a Lecturer for the San Francisco World Music Festival Lectureship in the Department of Music at Stanford University.