Aram Khachaturian

1903 - 1978

Armenian

Summary

Aram Ilich Khachaturian was born near Tiflis on 6 June 1903 and died in Moscow on 1 May 1978. Educated at the Gnesin School and the Moscow Conservatory, Khachaturian emerged — along with Prokofiev and Shostakovich — as one of the most popular and successful composers of the Soviet period. His unique musical idiom was indelibly marked by his Armenian heritage; his scores are noted for their sensuous, singing melodic writing, colorful orchestration, and elemental rhythmic drive. Known in the West chiefly as the composer of instrumental concerti and the vivid scores for the ballets Gayaneh and Spartacus (the former including the brilliant 'Sabre Dance'), his output also encompassed symphonies and other works for orchestra, film and theater music, works for band, chamber music, and a large number of patriotic and popular songs.

Aram Khachaturian: an Introduction




The web documentary is presented by Boosey & Hawkes
and G. Schirmer/AMP and is directed by Tommy Pearson
of Red Ted Films.

Recordings heard on this video are courtesy of:
   Onyx Classics
   Chandos Records
   Naxos

Video footage is licensed with kind permission from
'Khachaturian,' directed by Peter Rosen, produced by the
Kuhn Foundation.

Biography

Aram Ilich Khachaturian was born near Tiflis on 6 June 1903 and died in Moscow on 1 May 1978. Educated at the Gnesin School and the Moscow Conservatory, Khachaturian emerged — along with Prokofiev and Shostakovich — as one of the most popular and successful composers of the Soviet period. His unique musical idiom was indelibly marked by his Armenian heritage; his scores are noted for their sensuous, singing melodic writing, colorful orchestration, and elemental rhythmic drive. Known in the West chiefly as the composer of instrumental concerti and the vivid scores for the ballets Gayaneh and Spartacus (the former including the brilliant 'Sabre Dance'), his output also encompassed symphonies and other works for orchestra, film and theater music, works for band, chamber music, and a large number of patriotic and popular songs.

Aram Khachaturian: an Introduction




The web documentary is presented by Boosey & Hawkes
and G. Schirmer/AMP and is directed by Tommy Pearson
of Red Ted Films.

Recordings heard on this video are courtesy of:
   Onyx Classics
   Chandos Records
   Naxos

Video footage is licensed with kind permission from
'Khachaturian,' directed by Peter Rosen, produced by the
Kuhn Foundation.

News

Performances

14th July 2025

LOCATION
Opera de NIce, Nice Cedex 4, France

12th September 2025

SOLOISTS
Nemanja RADULOVIC
PERFORMERS
OONM
CONDUCTOR
Anna Rakitina
LOCATION
Opéra Comédie, Montpellier, France

13th September 2025

SOLOISTS
Nemanja RADULOVIC
PERFORMERS
OONM
CONDUCTOR
Anna Rakitina
LOCATION
Opéra Comédie, Montpellier, France

28th September 2025

PERFORMERS
Prometheus Symphony Orchestra
LOCATION
Valley Center for the Performing Arts, Oakland, CA, United States of America

14th November 2025

SOLOISTS
Nemanja Radulovic
PERFORMERS
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Marin Alsop
LOCATION
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, College Park, MD, United States of America

Features

Photos

Discography