Rauf Abdullayev was born in Baku. Originally from the village of Garaaghaj in the Gubadli region.

He studied conducting at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory (1959) and the Leningrad State Conservatory (1965).

Conductor of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater (1965-1968), chief conductor (1968-1984), co-founder of the Modern Music Chamber Orchestra and the Baccarat Ensemble, artistic director and chief conductor of the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra (1984-2023), artistic director and chief conductor of the Ankara State Opera and Ballet Theater (1991-1997), and participant in international music festivals and projects.

Professor, Honored Artist (1970), People's Artist (1982), State Prize laureate (1988) and the Orders of "Glory" (1997), "Honor" (2012) and "Independence" (2017).

He was awarded the International "Golden Plane" Award (2018) and the "Heydar Aliyev" Award (2023).