18^th Khachaturian International Competition / Cello
June 6-13, 2022

The 18^th Khachaturian International Competition (hereinafter Competition) will be held from June 6 to 13, 2022, in Yerevan, Armenia, in the category of Cello.

Conditions of the Competition

The Competition is open for cellists, regardless of citizenship and nationality, aged at least 16 and no older than 35 years on the date of the opening ceremony of the Competition (June 6, 2022). Cellists, who are former First prize winners of the Competition, are not eligible to participate.

The Khachaturian International Cello Competition consists of a Primary audition stage (selection by submitted video materials) and 3 rounds: 1^st round, 2^nd round (semifinal), 3^rd round (final).

24 participants will be selected to participate in the 1^st round of the Competition, following the Primary video auditions.
12 participants will be selected to participate in the 2^nd round.
4 participants will be selected to participate in the 3^rd round.
The Jury reserves the right to withhold a winning place altogether or share a place among candidates. The Jury\'s decision is final and is not subject to appeal.
After resuming the results of the 2^nd round, a discussion session with jury members shall be organized for those participants who are not selected for the 3rd round. Jury members will give a speech with a brief description of each participant\'s performance.
By the end of the 3^rd round all jury members will submit written reviews on each participant’s performance at the given round.
All pieces must be performed from memory in all rounds of the Competition (except for sonatas which can be performed either from memory or with scores, as preferred by the contestant).
The performance program submitted by the participant may not be changed throughout the Competition. All participants are free to set the sequence of the pieces they perform in 1^st and 2^nd Rounds.

The candidate must be accompanied by a pianist during the performances in the 1^st and 2^nd rounds.
A performance dress code is instituted for the performance of the candidate cellist and the accompanying pianist.
The Competition can provide the contestants with accompanist pianists but this should be indicated in the application form in advance. During each round contestants are given 2 hours free of charge for rehearsal with the accompanist.
The 3^rd (Final) round performances will be accompanied by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, which is the official orchestra of the competition.
The pitch of the orchestra and piano is set at 442 Hz.
The Competition will provide contestants with a room for warm-up an hour before their performances during each round.
The order of appearance of participants shall be determined by randomly drawn lots and maintained until the end of the Competition.
The 1^st , 2^nd and 3^rd rounds of competition are open to public.
The rights for the broadcasting of the overall Competition and its rounds, all audio and video recordings as well as the rights to their further use belong to the Competition and are made available to the participants per their request only. The audio and video recordings of the participants\' performances are kept uploaded till June 16, 2022 inclusive and then removed from the web with the exception of the performances of prize winning participants.
Participants of the Competition are not allowed to use or make available to third parties the video recordings of their performances, unless a written permission is granted by the Competition. All finalists of the Competition are required to give performances with no financial remuneration at the closing ceremony and the Laureates Concerts of the Competition as well as the special concerts aimed at popularizing the Competition.
 

Selection of Candidates

All candidates must submit a link (or two links) of video recordings of their performances (with a minimum duration of 15 minutes). The candidates must present one baroque or classical period composition and one romantic period composition for the primary audition of the Competition. The compositions presented during the Primary audition can be performed during the next three rounds of the Competition as well.

Videos should be without interruption/editing during the performance of each piece. Only videos made later than June 6, 2019 shall be accepted. The application form should include the exact title list of the compositions to be submitted for audition, with an indication of the date and duration of the video recordings.

Candidates will be informed of transferring to the 1^st round of the Competition via email. The results of Pre-selection will be announced on the Competition website on May 16, 2022․

Application and Participation Fee

Dear applicants,

We are glad to inform you that thanks to the supporters of the 18th Khachaturian International Competition, the applicants are given the opportunity to participate in this year’s competition without any mandatory payment. Our supporters, together with Aram Khachaturian Competition Cultural Foundation, want to create a new way for young artists, thus enhancing their long-term path in the world of classical music.

How to Apply

Please complete the Application form here.

The completed application form should be attached with documents listed below:

• Photocopy of the passport (JPEG or PDF format);
• Autobiography in English (in Armenian and Russian as well, if available) (Microsoft Word file);
• One high resolution artistic photo (at a minimal size of 2Mb, JPEG format) for use in the Competition promotional materials;
• Copy of the participation fee payment order. No application will be considered without payment confirmation document. (JPEG or PDF format)
• Articles about the candidate, published within the past five years, if available. (JPEG or PDF format),

The deadline of the applications is May 10, 2022.

The Competition reserves the right to reject an application which does not meet the regulations of the Competition. Additional information may be required from the participant, if necessary.
By applying to participate in the Competition, the candidates give their consent to participate in all rounds of the Competition, in accordance with the Jury’s voting. During the admission of applications, the Competition collects personal information regarding the participants for certain procedural needs of the Competition. Personal data is stored in a reliable database. Only the following details about the participants are subject to publishing: name; surname; date of birth, place of birth, nationality, biography, photos, personal website and social media profiles. The participants may view their personal details and make changes in written form.

By submitting the application, the candidates confirm their acceptance of all conditions of the Competition.

The organizing committee of the Competition reserves the right of certain adjustments no later than 1 month before the launch of the Competition.

Information for foreign participants

After receiving the invitation, foreign participants should apply to the Armenian Embassy or Consulate in their countries for visa, if required.
Visas may also be received at the Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan. Please check the following link for the list of countries to which a visa regime with Armenia is applied: http://www.mfa.am/en/visa/

Over the whole duration of the Competition, free hotel accommodation and meals will be offered to participants. The Competition DOES NOT cover the accommodation and meal expenses for any accompanying person(s) (including the accompanists). Participants who are not selected to participate in the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds but are willing to stay in Yerevan till the end of the Competition, shall incur all expenses personally.