Born in Tbilisi, he first studied the cello at the Moscow  Conservatory, but turned to composing, and 1934's Symphony No. 1  
Born in Tbilisi, he first studied the cello at the Moscow  Conservatory, but turned to composing, and 1934's Symphony No. 1  brought him immediate international fame. His second symphony was  written for the 25th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, but in  1948 he was accused of bourgeois tendencies in his works, along  with Shostakovich and Prokofiev. Other works include a third  symphony, the ballet "Spartacus", and the Armenian national anthem.  FTP, name this Soviet composer whose ballet "Gayane" contains the  famous "Sabre Dance".
Born in Tbilisi, he first studied the cello at the Moscow  Conservatory, but turned to composing, and
Aram {Khachaturian}