Background
Khachaturian was born in Moscow, the son of Suren Khachaturian, a theatrical director
Khachaturian was born in Moscow, the son of Suren Khachaturian, a theatrical director
He studied under Genrikh Litinsky at the Moscow Conservatory were interrupted by a term of duty in the entertainment division of the Red Army.
Resuming his studies in 1945, he worked with Dmitri Shostakovich and Nikolai Myaskovsky. Rhythmic drive and a careful and idiomatic use of his instrumental forces characterize his compositions. He adopted a primarily tonal approach to composition.
A recording of the opening of his first symphony was played in a lecture-demonstration given at the University of Warwick during the first academic year in which it had undergraduates (1965-1966), by Geoffrey Bush.
Khachaturian was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class (2007), the Order of Honour (Russian Federation) (2000) and the Order of Friendship (1995). He was awarded the title Peoples Artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1981) and the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics State Prize (1976, for the ballet "Cipollino") and the Russian Federation State Prize (2001). He also received the Diploma of the Russian Federation President (March 6, 2011 - for great contribution to the development of national culture and the many years of creative activity) and the Moscow City Hall prize (1999).
Union of Soviet Composers.
