Defining the Sound of the American Western through a Russian Lens After World War II, American composers sought to determine a distinct American pastoral sound. The connection between the young country and an imagined utopic West took root in Hollywood, where westerns became one of the most successful genres of film in the 1950s. Russian-born composer Dimitri Tiomkin achieved great success in this genre, shaping numerous conventions and composing scores that continue to resonate today. Having spent his formative years in St. Petersburg, Tiomkin represents a unique intersection between Russian compositional techniques and an American sound. This dissertation interrogates the position of a Russian born composer defining an American genre.