Hovhaness-Fujihara
Music Company, Inc.
Alan Hovhaness
“My purpose is to create music, not for snobs, but for all people—music which is beautiful and healing—to attempt what old Chinese painters called ‘spirit resonance in melody and sound.’”
Alan Hovhaness was one of the most prolific composers of the Twentieth Century— sixty-seven symphonies, three oratorios, seven operas, plus stage works, and numerous compositions for full orchestra as well as various instrumental combinations. His opus numbers total 434; after finishing counting his manuscripts, there could well be over five hundred opuses. Unlike any other Twentieth-Century composers, he stood alone. He followed his “instinct and his voice.” His compositions were unique and original.
Discover the Music of Alan Hovhaness
Alan Hovhaness (1911–2000) was one of the most prolific and distinctive composers of the 20th century, with a catalog of over 500 works that transcended borders, belief systems, and even time. Drawing deeply from Armenian liturgical traditions, Japanese gagaku, Indian ragas, Renaissance polyphony, and nature itself, his music reflects a lifelong quest to express spiritual truth through sound.
If this is your first encounter with Hovhaness, welcome. His music invites you to slow down, to listen, and to look inward. Many listeners describe the experience of hearing Hovhaness as entering a world of quiet majesty, mystery, and deep emotional resonance. It’s music not for snobs, but for anyone with an open heart.
Alan Hovhaness: Unveiling One of the Great Composers of the 20th Century
In the year 2000, after Alan’s death, Hinako Fujihara-Hovhaness started writing poems, which was the only way she could cope with her great loss. They were written with her limited English, yet they were spontaneous and poignant, straight from her heart. After she had written hundreds of poems, it was not enough. Hinako started writing stories from my memories about Alan, events she had experienced with him.
To Hinako, “Alan was a master of counterpoint and an intellectual, yet he had many different sides to his personality, from being a polite, distinguished gentleman to a wild savage, idealistic, and old-fashioned man to sexy womanizer. He understood human nature and emotion, and I think that is why his music touches people’s hearts and is loved by them, even though his music is built on an intellectual foundation.”
Fujihara History
Jun Bokuhuku was born on April 5, 1909, in Kunsun, Korea (South Korea). She attended Primary School and Merry Bowellton Junior High School (American Missionary School) in Kunsun, Korea. She then went on to study at Senshin High School for Women (Buddhist School of Shingon-sect, connected with Koyasan) in Osaka, Japan. After graduating from High School, she attended Japan Women’s College in Tokyo, Japan where she majored in Home Economics. In those days and location, it was out of the ordinary for a woman to attend college, and even more so a Korean woman in a Japanese college, due to the prejudices between the Japanese and Koreans at that time.
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The Hovhaness Store – Coming Soon
Explore the Legacy of Alan Hovhaness
We’re excited to announce that the Hovhaness-Fujihara Music Company, Inc. is preparing to launch an online store celebrating the life and work of composer Alan Hovhaness.
The store will feature a thoughtfully curated collection of works, including a growing selection of sheet music that reflects his deeply spiritual, cross-cultural, and genre-defying career. We also plan to offer a limited selection of special items inspired by his legacy.
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