The closing gala concert of the 2026 Khachaturian International Competition took place at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, where the names of the laureates were announced and the official award ceremony was held.
The First Prize was awarded to Cosima Regina Federle (Germany), the Second Prize to Bogdan Efremov (Russian Federation), and the Third Prize to Artyom Ioanisyan (Armenia).
Special prizes were also awarded for the best interpretation of a classical sonata, the best performances of works by Bach and Popper, and the best interpretation of Aram Khachaturian’s Sonata-Fantasy. Additional awards were presented in the categories of Best Collaborative Pianist and Audience Award.
This year, 19 cellists from 11 countries, selected by the international jury, participated in the competition.
The jury included distinguished representatives of the international music community: Denis Severin (Switzerland), Martti Rousi (Finland), Meehae Ryo (Republic of Korea), Josephine Knight (United Kingdom), Levon Mouradian (Armenia/Portugal), Gregorio Nieto (Venezuela), and Victor Julien-Laferrière (France).
Freedom Broker Armenia serves as the Strategic Partner of the Khachaturian International Competition, supporting initiatives that foster young talent and contribute to the long-term development of culture and the arts.
“Investment in culture creates long-term value. We believe that supporting young musicians means investing not only in their professional future but also in the cultural development of society. The Khachaturian International Competition is a unique platform that enables emerging artists to present themselves to the international professional community and build their artistic careers. It is a great honor for Freedom Broker Armenia to serve as the Strategic Partner of this prestigious initiative,” said Ovak Ovakimian, Director of Freedom Broker Armenia.
The Khachaturian International Competition is organized by the Aram Khachaturian Cultural Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia. The general sponsor of the competition is the Yerevan Municipality.
The Strategic Partner of the competition is Freedom Broker Armenia, while VISA and Acba Bank are partners of the event.
The competition is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC).
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