Alexander Spendiaryan

Alexander Afanasyevich Spendiarov (, November 1, 1871, Kakhovka, Russian Empire – May 7, 1928, Yerevan, Armenia) was a Russian composer and conductor of Armenian descent, founder of Armenian national symphonic music. Biography Alexander Spendiarov was born on 1 November (as 20 October) 1871 in Kakhovka, province of Tavrik (modern Ukraine). His artistic abilities were formed in early childhood. He inherited his musical abilities from his mother who played piano. When Alexander Spendiarov was seven he wrote a waltz. In 1890 he went to Moscow and studied for one year in the Natural Sciences faculty of Moscow University, and then in 1894 he graduated from the Law faculty. At the same time he continued his violin classes. In 1896 Alexander Spendiarov went to St. Petersburg to show his compositions to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who greatly admired his music and encouraged him to turn deeper into his people’s folklore. From 1896 to 1900 he took private composition lessons with Rimsky-Korsakov. According to Alexander Glazunov, “Rimsky-Korsakov was perfectly satisfied with the results of Alexander Spendiarov’s work and considered him a serious, talented composer with a great flair for composi