Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet Armenian composer and conductor. He is considered one of the leading Soviet composers. He is considered the most renowned Armenian composer of the 20th century. While following the established musical traditions of Russia, he broadly incorporated Armenian and, to a lesser extent, Caucasian, Eastern and Central European, and Middle Eastern peoples' folk music into his works. He is highly regarded in Armenia, where he is considered a "national treasure".
Biography
Background and early life (1903–1921)
thumb|The building at 93 Uznadze Street in Tbilisi, where Khachaturian lived between 1906 and 1922
Aram Khachaturian was born on 6 June (24 May in Old Style) 1903 in the city of Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi, Georgia) into an Armenian family. Khachaturian himself said he was born in Kojori.