Alan Hovhaness (1911 – 2000) was an American composer of Armenian and Scottish descent.  His music is accessible to the lay listener and often evokes a mood of mystery or contemplation. The Boston Globe music critic Richard Buell wrote: "Although he has been stereotyped as a self-consciously Armenian composer (rather as Ernest Bloch is seen as a Jewish composer), his output assimilates the music of many cultures. What may be most American about all of it is the way it turns its materials into a kind of exoticism. The atmosphere is hushed, reverential, mystical, nostalgic."  He was among the most prolific composers of the 20th century, composing 67 symphonies and more than 400 opus numbers.   Read More...