Sayat-Nova
Sayat-Nova ("Սայաթ-Նովա" in Armenian) (1712-1795), or 'King of Songs' is the name given to Haroutiun Sayakian , the greatest Armenian musician. He was probably born in Sanahin, where his mother was also born, and he grew up in a village near Tbilisi, Georgia, and was skilled in writing poetry, singing and playing the kemenche. He performed in the court of Heracle II of Georgia, were he also worked as a diplomat, and apparently helped forge an alliance between Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan against the Persian Empire. He lost his place at court when he fell in love with the king's daughter, and spent the rest of his life as an itinerant bard. He was killed in 1795 by the army of Agha Mohammed Khan.
About 220 songs can be attributed to Sayat-Nova, although he may have written thousands altogether. These songs are still sung today.