Alemshah, Kourkene

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Alemshah, Kourkene

Alemshah, Kourkene, Armenian composer; b. Yerevan, May 22, 1907; d. Detroit, Dec. 14, 1947. He studied in Milan with Pizzetti (1924–30). In 1931 he settled in Paris. His music was strongly permeated with Armenian melos, and the settings were impressionistic. A memorial festival of his music was presented in Paris on Feb. 19, 1950. Among his compositions were the symphonic poems Légende (Paris, June 19, 1932) and La Bataille d’Avarayr (Paris, June 2, 1934); also Danses populaires armeniennes for Orch. (Paris, June 2, 1934). Alemshah died during an American tour, which he undertook as a choral conductor.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire