YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. An international contest of cellists after Aram Khachatrian will start on May 30 at Yerevan Aram Khachatrian concert hall with participation of 17 16-30-year-old cellists from Armenia, Russia, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and USA. As Sergei Sarajian, Chairman of the contest steering committee, Rector of Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas, informed at the May 29 press conference, this contest held for the first time in Armenia consists of three stages and will be concluded on June 6, Aram Khachatrian's birthday. 15 thousand USD is to be given for the first place, 10 thousand USD for the second place and 5 thousand USD for the third place. There will be also encouraging prizes amounting to 2000 USD. According to S.Sarajian, special prizes are also instituted for the nominations "Spectator's Liking," "Promising Participant," "The Best Solo Performer," "The Best Performance of 20th Century Work," "The Best Performance of a Virtuoso Work." According to S.Sarajian, all participants without fail should perform Aram Khachatrian's concert for cello. "The contest's goal is to reveal the talented musicians, as well as to pass them the heritage left by Aram Khachatrian," S.Sarajian mentioned. Composer Tigran Mansurian, Medea Abrahamian, Wolfgang Boettcher (Germany), Ivan Monighetti (Switzerland) and Vahram Sarajian (USA) are included in the jury.

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