Artsakh Armenian composer wins 'Nobel Prize of Music'

Hovik Sardaryan, an Armenian composer from Artsakh, has been awarded the 2026 Ernst von Siemens Composer Prize, one of the most prestigious international honors in classical music often described as the “Nobel Prize of Music”.

The jury said the award recognises both Sardaryan’s individual artistic achievement and the vitality of the modern Armenian school of composition, whose roots lie in Artsakh. At 32, he becomes the first Armenian composer to receive the prize.

Sardaryan was born in Hadrut, Artsakh, and began his musical education at the Sayat-Nova Music College in Stepanakert before continuing his studies at the Yerevan State Conservatory. In a statement released on Saturday, Artsakh’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports said the honour was further proof that “Artsakh’s cultural voice continues to be heard around the world — contemporary, independent and dignified.”