Maro Ajemian music during the 1940s, presenting annual concerts in such high-profile venues as Town Hall. These concerts were well reviewed by such critics as Lou Harrison, Virgil Thomson, and Olin Downes, and served to launch Hovhaness into the national spotlight. She died of heart valve failure at the age of 57. Maro Ajemian Maro Ajemian (July 9, 1921 – September 18, 1978) was an American pianist. Ajemian's career in contemporary music grew from her Armenian heritage. She became known as a contemporary pianist after performing the U.S. premiere of Aram Khachaturian's Piano Concerto, which she chose to play based on their
Roman Brandstaetter Roman Brandstaetter Roman Brandstaetter (January 3, 1906 – September 28, 1987) was a Polish-Jewish writer, poet, playwright, journalist and translator. Roman Brandstaetter was born in Tarnów, to a religious Jewish family, being the grandson of rabbi Mordechai David Brandstaedter. Roman Brandstaetter graduated from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków with a degree in philosophy and Polish and taught in a Jewish high school in Warsaw. Beginning in 1927, he published poetry and critical essays in the publications "Chwila" and "Nowy Dziennik". In 1928, he published his first volume of poetry, titled "Jarzma" ("Yokes"). He wrote exclusively in Polish and actively participated