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RULES
contestants rules
22nd Khachaturian International Competition
Cello
June 6-13, 2026
The 22nd Khachaturian International Competition (hereinafter Competition) will be held from June 6 to 13, 2026, 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, 2026). Cellists, who are former First prize winners of the Competition, are not eligible to participate.
The Khachaturian International Competition consists of a Primary audition stage (selection by submitted video materials) and 3 rounds: 1st round, 2nd round (semifinal), 3rd round (final).
24 participants will be selected to participate in the 1st round of the Competition, following the Primary video auditions.
12 participants will be selected to participate in the 2nd round.
4 participants will be selected to participate in the 3rd round.
The Jury reserves the right to share a place among candidates based on the voting results. The Jury's decision is final and is not subject to appeal.
After resuming the results of the 2nd 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.
All pieces must be performed by heart in all rounds of the Competition (except for sonatas for cello and Orchestra which can be performed either from heart 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 1st and 2nd Rounds.
The candidate must be accompanied by a pianist during the performances in the 1st and 2nd rounds.
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 3rd (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 30 minutes before their performances during each round.
The order of appearance of participants shall be determined by the drawing of lots and shall remain unchanged for the duration of the Competition.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounds of competition are open to the public.
The contestants' performances will be broadcast online. Live coverage will be available until the last contestant's performance each competition day. All rights to the overall broadcast of the Competition, including its rounds and all audio and video recordings, belong to the Competition and will be made available to participants upon request only.
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.
All finalists of the Competition are required to give performances with no financial remuneration at the Gala Concert and Award Ceremony of 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 cello solo and cello and piano (orchestra)) 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. 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 by E-mail about their selection for the 1st round of the Competition. The results of Pre-selection will be announced on the Competition website on April 20, 2026․
Participation Fee
Applicants who pass the preliminary selection stage must pay a participation fee equivalent to 200 euros in Armenian drams․
Payments shall be made either via bank transfer or online directly after filling the application form. Those, who will receive an email for passing to the 1st round, will receive a link for the payment as well. Any bank transfer commission fee shall be paid by the applicant. The fee is not subject to reimbursement regardless of the reason for no-show․ Applicants who transfer the money to the bank account of the Competition, should clearly indicate their names and the phrase “Fee for participation in the 2026 Khachaturian International Competition” in the Purpose of Payment field*.
Bank details:
Payment in EUR
Raiffeisen Bank International AG (Vienna, Austria)
SWIFT: RZBAATWW
Beneficiary’s bank: EVOCABANK CJSC (Yerevan, Armenia)
SWIFT: PRMLAM22
Corr. Acc.N: 1-55.080.071
Beneficiary։ “ARAM KHACHATURIAN” CULTURAL FOUNDATION
Account No: 16600 14513910145 EUR
Address: 1 Proshyan 1st. Blind Alley, 0019 Yerevan, Armenia
Citizens of the Republic of Armenia could make the transfer of the participation fee in AMD to the bank account of the Competition, clearly indicating their names and the phrase “Fee for participation in the 2026 Khachaturian International Competition” in the Purpose of Payment field.
The bank details are as follows:
Beneficiary: “ARAM KHACHATURIAN” CULTURAL FOUNDATION
Beneficiary’s bank: EVOCABANK CJSC (Yerevan, Armenia)
Account No: 1660014513910100 AMD
How to Apply
Please complete the Application form here.
The completed application form should be attached with documents listed below:
The deadline of the applications is April 10, 2026.
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 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 a visa, if required. Some 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 (in single room) 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 2nd and 3rd rounds but are willing to stay in Yerevan till the end of the Competition, shall incur all expenses personally.