About pedagogues:

About Uzeyir Hajibayov:

Uzeyir Hajibayov's role in Azerbaijan music is similar with Glinka's role in Russian musical history. All basic genres of contemporary music come from Uzeyir Hajibayov's creativity.
"Baku worker", 1948, November 26.

… I was and will be thankful student of my beloved teachers, because of them I managed to get all achievements in music.
"Soviet music", 1996, #9.

About Dmitriy Shostakovich:

I am often asked about how Shostakovich used to work with students and which pedagogical principals he used. And I have to answer that he has as many principals as his students. But being very serious pedagogue he managed to impress his students to be sure to their power and to finish even the most difficult work.

High professional atmoshpere to the work ruled the class. It just was impossible to come to the class with unfinished work. And we efforted ourselves to work as a beast. I don't remember if any lazy and beachcomber student could stand for long at the class. It was demanded "to lay yourself for" all-over.