Aram Khachaturian was an Armenian composer and conductor who is best known for his ballets Gayane and Spartacus, as well as the Sabre Dance from Gayane. He was born in 1903 and died in 1978, and during his lifetime he composed symphonies, concertos, operas, and other works. He was also a member of the Union of Soviet Composers and was awarded the Order of Lenin and the People's Artist of the USSR.