The 20th Khachaturian International Competition recently concluded, having been established on June 6, 2003, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. This prestigious event showcases emerging talents in cello, piano, violin, and conducting.
Japanese violinist Tomotaka Seki emerged victorious, securing the first prize along with a $10,000 USD cash award. Seki’s prize package includes a performance opportunity in the 2025-26 concert season with an orchestra selected by the competition, a year-long loan of a violin from the Florian Leonhard Fine Violin collection, and a special bow from Haffnerbows, presented by jury member Eszter Haffner.
Russia’s Sergey Mkrtichian claimed the second prize, receiving $5,000 USD and the chance to perform for two years with a replica of the Strad ex-Huberman (1713) violin provided by the Laureate Concert Group.
Rio Arai of Japan secured the third prize, which includes a $3,000 USD award and an invitation to perform at Berlin’s Blackmore Concert Hall during the 2024-2025 concert season.
The jury for this edition of the competition featured Vera Tsu Weiling, Ana Chumachenco, Eszter Haffner, Sergey Khachatryan, Péter Csaba, Koh Gabriel Kameda, and Zohrab Tadevosyan.
