Aram Khachaturian – Armenian Composer (1903 – 1978)

Aram Khachaturian

Aram Khachaturian is a world famous Armenian composer who lived between 1903 and 1978. He was not alive to see an independent Armenia (which was granted independence in 1991) and so he is often referred to as a Soviet-Armenian composer. Certainly, he is considered one the titans of Soviet music and is also considered to be one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century.

Origins
Born in Tiflis of the former Soviet Empire, which is now known as Tbilisi, Georgia, Aram Khachaturian was born in to a poor Armenian family. His father moved from Armenia to Tiflis at the age of 13 and by the time he was 25 he owned his own bookbinding shop. Aram was the youngest of five siblings and became fascinated with the music he found in the region; however, despite this love of music he did not study or learn to read music at this time.

Musical Education
It was not until Armenia was declared a Soviet Republic in 1920 that Khachaturian began his musical education when joined a propaganda train which toured Armenia. The train was populated by Georgian – Armenians who entertained the crowds with moral boosting musical accompaniment to political speakers.

However, it was not until the following year when Khachaturian joined his brother, who had risen to be the stage director at the Second Moscow Art Theatre, that he showed an interest in musical education. Despite not having any formal musical education, Khachaturian showed such a great ability for music he was admitted the prestigious Gnessin Institute.

First Symphony
Khachaturian transferred to the Moscow Conservatory in 1929 and he graduated with his First Symphony in 1934. The year prior to his graduation he married the composer and class mate Nina Makarova. A few years later in 1951 Khachaturian was appointed professor at the Gnessin State Musical and the Moscow Consevatory. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; however, he fell out of favour with the party when his third Symphony earned him the wrath of party leaders, despite (according to the composer himself) the work being a tribute to his beloved communism.

Death
On May 1, 1978 Khachaturian died just before his 75th birthday and he is buried in Yerevan. In fact, the site he is buried in is also the final resting place for a number of prominent Armenians who have raised the profile Armenian art to international levels.