Cello winners announced for the 2026 Khachaturian International Competition

Read more news stories here 

The 2026 edition of the Khachaturian International Competition was dedicated to the cello and took place from 6–13 June in Yerevan, Armenia. Finalists were accompanied by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.

This year’s first prize was awarded to German cellist Cosima Regina Federle, 24, winning $10,000 and a performance engagement. She also won the special prize for the best interpretation of a sonata in the second round of the competition.

The $5,000 second prize was won by Russian cellist Bogdan Efremov, 21, along with the special prizes for the best interpretation of an etude by Popper and the best interpretation of Khachaturian’s Sonata-Fantasy for solo cello.

The $3,000 third prize and the audience award went to Armenian cellist Artyom Ioanisyan, 23, receiving a concert engagement with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, while the fourth prize and the special prize for the best interpretation of a composition for solo cello by Bach went to US cellist Miriam K. Smith, 19.

This year’s jury was chaired by Victor Julien-Laferrière and comprised Gregorio Nieto, Levon Mouradian, Josephine Knight, Meehae Ryo, Martti Rousi and Denis Severin.

Federle is currently studying at the Berlin University of the Arts with Jens-Peter Maintz, having previously studied with Peter Bruns at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig, and with teachers Wolfgang Nüsslein and Hanno Simons. Among her accolades, she has won the first prize at the Domenico Gabrielli Cello Competition, the Lions Competition, and the International Dotzauer Competition; the second prize at the International Grunewald Competition and International David Popper Competition; and the third prize at the 2023 International Klaipėda David Geringas Cello Competition.

‘I am overwhelmed, I cannot put it into words – this was a very intense week, I’m also a bit exhausted I have to say, but I’m just extremely happy,’ said Federle, following the announcement of the results. ‘It will take some time to digest it and really realise what just happened.

‘I’m happy that all my passion, all my work, all the time and thought I put into the preparation and in my playing finally paid off.’