xi, 135 p. : ill., music. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / American composer Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) published twelve operatic works during his career. Eight of these staged productions were written between the years 1959 and 1969. During these ten years Hovhaness immersed himself in the music and theatre of Japan. The composer traveled to Japan twice, once in 1960 and again in 1962, where he frequently attended Noh plays. As composer-in-residence at the University of Hawaii in 1961, Hovhaness took private lessons on and composed freely for the instruments of Gagaku, the ancient court music of Japan. My study investigates the degree to which Hovhaness was exposed to Gagaku and Noh, and what elements of these Japanese alts the composer manifests in his staged works between 1959 and 1969. I compare Hovhaness' treatment of Japanese elements to that ofother twentieth-century Western composers interested in East Asian music. Through this study we gain greater knowledge of Hovhaness' operatic style. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Marian Smith, Chair; Dr. Anne Dhu McLucas; Dr. Jack Boss