Khachaturian International Competition to bring together 24 cellists from 11 countries

The Khachaturian International Competition will commence in Yerevan on June 6, coinciding with the birthday of Armenia’s most celebrated composer, Aram Khachaturian. This year’s edition focuses on the cello, drawing 24 competitors from 11 countries, including Armenia, Russia, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Denmark, the United States, South Korea, China and Hungary.

The opening gala at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall will feature Khachaturian’s iconic Cello Concerto performed by French soloist Victor Julien-Laferrière with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under conductor Sergey Smbatyan. Excerpts from Khachaturian’s celebrated ballets will also be performed.

The competition, organized by the Aram Khachaturian Cultural Foundation with support from Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, has for over two decades united young musicians around Khachaturian’s legacy. A mandatory requirement is the performance of his works.

The jury comprises distinguished figures from the global music scene, including Denis Severin (Switzerland), Martti Rousi (Finland), Mihee Rhee (South Korea), Josephine Knight (UK), Levon Mouradian (Armenia/Portugal), Gregorio Nieto (Venezuela) and Victor Julien-Laferrière (France).

Early rounds will be held at the Khachaturian House-Museum from June 7-10, with the finals returning to the Concert Hall. The winner will be announced on June 13 during the awards ceremony and gala concert, performing alongside the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.

The competition’s strategic partner is Freedom Broker Armenia, with sponsorship from Yerevan Municipality and support from VISA and Acba Bank. It is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions.