Q. Tell us about Alan Hovhaness: Unveiling One of the Great Composers of the 20th Century from your point of view.
The content of the book was written by my mother Hinako Fujuhara Hovhaness. Originally it was intended as a documentary to give an insight into the life and personality of Alan Hovhaness, the composer (my mother’s husband). However, the writing became very deep and personal and evolved into a love story. Not only a romantic love story but all the different phase of love throughout a lifetime. The stories are not sugar coated but are very transparent about their lives; success, failure, opinions, things that make us human. The book also uncovers a story of a man set in his beliefs; being rejected and ridiculed by his peers, returning to study the ancient music techniques to stand-up for what he believed in. Eventually being recognized for his beautiful and healing compositions as the music trends gradually began to change.
Q. How is your book different from other books in the same genre?
This book was written by someone who lived and experienced events along with Alan Hovhaness, so it doesn’t just describe the event, it also captures the emotion of the experience. It’s structured like music—emotional movements, recurring motifs. It’s honest, loving, and human.
Q. What’s one thing you want the reader to remember about your book long after they finish?
Alan Hovhaness was human but possessed the gift of sharing the beauty of the universe through his music. All substances that contain energy are life, Alan was in tune with the frequency of the universe, therefore he was able to capture the messages communicated by the wind, mountains, and trees.
Q. How do you describe Alan Hovhaness to someone unfamiliar with his music?
Alan was one of the most prolific American composers of the 20th century. He wrote more than 500 pieces, including 67 symphonies. But he didn’t write music to fit in—he wrote what he believed. That’s why his music still resonates.
Q. What set his music apart from other composers of his time?
While many followed serialism or avant-garde styles, Alan stayed true to melody, harmony, and modal structures. He had many acquaintances in the music industry and not only composed classical and jazz music, but some music historians also claimed he had a great influence on early rock-n-roll music. He was a major contributor to introducing Ravi Shankar to the Western world.
Q. How does it feel being the steward of a legacy and co-author of a woman’s voice, your mother’s – carrying on something like this?
My wife and family knew Alan very well, however over the last couple of years cataloging all his archives, we uncovered many of his beliefs and adventures we knew nothing about. My mother was very dedicated to cultivating Alan’s legacy, and after learning more about Alan, my wife and I have been converted and are dedicated to spreading his story and music. We certainly did not have the personality or background to be public influencers, however no matter how poor our presentation, Alan’s story needs to be told.
Q. Were you ever concerned about sharing awkward or unflattering details?
Of course, but my mother wanted to show to everyone that Alan is a human being, he has faults, but he was an intellectual and had many good traits. She wanted to be very transparent about Alan’s life. Absolutely there are some awkward details that were exposed in the book, which may cause a side-ways look from some readers, but we all have our quirks.
Q. Was Alan’s work spiritual or mystical?
I’ll probably get some arguments about my answer.. I’m not a music scholar, just my personal opinion. Spiritual is more of a broad search for a higher power, whereas mystical is a specific method to connect with the higher power, so I think both. Certainly, Alan searched many avenues and studied many cultures for the answer, and he tried many specific methods to make a connection. Alan thought that he had been reincarnated several times, and he believed that each incarnation had a goal to better oneself. Perhaps Alan already knew the answer and his purpose was to just help us find our inner peace through his music.
Q. What kind of people were drawn to Alan, and why?
I met many of Alan’s friends throughout the years, most of them were very passionate about their feelings and music, outgoing and bombastic personalities. Many thought Alan was from another dimension, time and place.
Q. Why is now a good time to reintroduce his music?
My mom was too ill to promote his work in her last years. Now it is my turn to pick up the torch. And people are ready—they’re hungry for beauty, depth, and meaning in our world now. With the book coming out this fall, and this auspicious anniversary, there was an alignment in play making the time now.
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.”
