Khachaturian International Competition: German cellist Cosima Regina Federle wins first prize
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Aram Khachaturian Cultural Foundation press release
German cellist Cosima Regina Federle has been awarded First Prize at the 2026 Khachaturian International Competition. As a result of her victory, she received a monetary award equivalent to 10,000 USD, as well as important international performance opportunities, including appearances on prestigious stages and participation in new professional projects.
In September, Federle will perform with the Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra, as part of a collaboration with the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC). In addition, through cooperation with IMK Vienna, the young cellist will appear with the North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at the Smetana Hall in Prague. During the competition, Federle also received a special prize for the best interpretation of a sonata in the second round.
The Second Prize was awarded to Russian cellist Bogdan Efremov, along with a monetary prize equivalent to 5,000 USD. He also received special prizes for the best interpretations of David Popper’s solo cello etudes and Aram Khachaturian’s Sonata-Fantasy.
The Third Prize went to Armenian cellist Artyom Ioannisyan, who also received the Audience Award with the highest number of votes, earning the opportunity to perform with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.
A special prize was also awarded to US cellist Miriam K. Smith, a finalist, for the best interpretation of a solo cello work.
This year’s jury was chaired by Levon Muradyan (Armenia/Portugal). The jury included internationally recognized figures of the classical music world: Denis Severin (Switzerland), Martti Rousi (Finland), Meha Rion (Republic of Korea), Josephine Knight (United Kingdom), Gregorio Nieto (Venezuela), and Victor Julien-Laferrière (France).
The Khachaturian International Competition is held with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia and is organized by the Aram Khachaturian Cultural Foundation. The strategic partner of the Khachaturian International Competition is Freedom Broker Armenia, the general sponsor is the Yerevan Municipality, and the supporters are VISA and Acba Bank. The competition is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC).