Violin Summit in Yerevan

Competitions

11 July 2024

The 20th Aram Kachaturian International Competition announces its winners

Established in 2003 to mark the 100^th anniversary of the legendary Armenian artist Aram Khachaturian, this 20^th edition of the Khachaturian Competition was held in the discipline of violin. Categories in other years include cello, piano, and conducting.

First Prize was given to Tokyo-based violinist Tomotaka Seki (25), who won a cash prize of approx. USD 10.000. He will also get to perform one concert in the 2025-26 concert season, will be awarded the use of a violin from the Florian Leonhard Fine Violin collection for a year, and will receive a bow manufactured by the Haffnerbows company by Eszter Haffner, a member of the jury of the 20th Khachaturian international competition.

Seki Tomotaka studied with Kenji Kobayashi, Asako Urushihara and Michiko Kamiya. After graduating from the Tokyo College of Music High School as an Honorary Scholarship Student, he currently continues his study at the Tokyo College of Music as an Honorary Scholarship Student under the tutelage of Koichiro Harada and Mayuko Kamio. In 2018, he has been awarded first prize at the Tokyo Music Competition, and subsequently given engagements to perform concertos and recitals throughout Japan. He has performed with various orchestras including Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and has given recitals in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and other cities. He has been very active performing various types of chamber music both with his “Cercatore Quartet” and members of the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

Sergey Mkrtichian from Moscow received second prize and $5,000 USD. He will have the opportunity to perform for two years with a Strad ex-Huberman (1713) violin replica provided by the Laureate Concert Group.

The third prize went to Rio Arai, currently based in Lausanne, who received a prize equivalent to $3,000 USD as well as an opportunity to perform a recital in Berlin during the 2024-2025 concert season.