Aram Khachaturian

Aram Khachaturian (Armenian: Արամ Խաչատրյան; Russian: Ара́м Ильи́ч Хачатуря́н) (June 6 1903 – May 1, 1978) was a Soviet Armenian composer. Alongside with Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich, Khachaturian is sometimes dubbed as one of the three "titans" of Soviet music. Khachaturian's works were often influenced by classical European music and Armenian folk music.

Born in Tiflis to a poor Armenian family from Nakhichevan, Khachaturian moved to Moscow at the age of 19. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1934.

Khachaturian is most famous for the Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from his ballet Spartacus, and for the "Sabre Dance" from his ballet Gayane and the adagio from the same ballet, much used in films and TV series around the world.