The life and work of Lala Mustafazade, the daughter from legendary jazz musician Vagif Mustafazade’s first marriage, have been examined.
Globalinfo.az, citing Unikal, reports that an investigation by journalist Hafiz Ahmadov uncovered interesting facts about Lala’s success in an international music competition, her career in France, family life and screen work.
One of Lala Mustafazade’s major achievements in her music career was winning the first Grand Prix at the International Piano Competition held in Épinal, France, in 1991. The competition’s official results list her as a pianist representing Azerbaijan.
Vagif Mustafazade is known in the history of Azerbaijani music as an artist who uniquely combined jazz and mugham. Despite her connection to her father’s musical legacy, Lala built her own professional path in classical piano performance. Her success in the international competition was one of the key stages of this path.
Lala Cholous has worked as a pianist in France for many years. She has worked as a concert pianist since 1991, performing in France and other countries — Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Russia — and also making music recordings.
One of the notable stages of her career was her work at the Paris National Opera. Lala Cholous worked as a pianist at the institution from September 1999 to November 2019. There, she provided musical accompaniment for ballet dancers’ daily rehearsals.
This work requires, in addition to classical piano performance, an in-depth knowledge of the demands of dance, the rhythm of rehearsals and ballet dancers’ coordination with music. Her nearly 20-year work at the Paris Opera forms an important part of her professional experience.
Since January 2025, Lala Cholous has also worked in musical training for dancers, singers and instrumental performers. Alongside her independent musical activities, she established a company in France called “La Musıka”.
In addition to her musical activities, Lala Mustafazade has also appeared before the camera as an actress. She played a pianist in the series Étoile, which was released on Amazon Prime Video in 2025.
Lala Cholous’s son, Michaël Cholous, is studying information technology in France.
Read also
