Hovhaness, Alan

views updated

Hovhaness, Alan (b Somerville, Mass., 1911; d 2000). Amer. composer, conductor, and organist of Armenian and Scot. descent. Worked in Boston 1940–7, taught at Boston Cons. 1948–52, then settled in NY. Prolific composer, deeply interested in Eastern mus. style, which embraces aleatory procedures as in Lousadzak (Coming of Light) 1944, combines Western elements with modal harmony, Eastern rhythms, and the exotica of Chinese and Balinese instrs. Works incl. 63 syms.; 10 operas; Mysterious Mountain, orch.; Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints, xyl., orch. (1965); And God Created Great Whales (1970) for humpbacked whale solo (on tape) and orch.; choral works; chamber mus.

More From encyclopedia.com