2026 Khachaturian International Youth Competition Launches, Adding Viola and Chamber Music
On January 26, the press conference for the 2nd Khachaturian International Youth Competition was held in Beijing. The competition will undergo a comprehensive upgrade this year, with major expansion in both disciplines and competition scope, as well as a new public participation mechanism. The event aims to become a global music celebration connecting professional excellence with public aesthetic education.
At the press conference, the organizing committee announced a five-year development plan, signaling that this international competition has entered a new phase of systematic and long-term development in China.
The launch of the youth competition marks a deeper development of the world-class Khachaturian music brand in China. The Khachaturian International Competition is an authoritative member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC). Since the adult competition system entered China in 2023 and the first youth competition was successfully held in 2024, the event has rapidly become a highly influential youth classical music competition in China and the Asia-Pacific region.
The competition will continue to be jointly organized by the Khachaturian Foundation and Jingse (Beijing) International Education Technology Co., Ltd., with ongoing guidance and support from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, the Central Opera House, and the Chinese and Armenian embassies.
On the basis of violin, piano and cello, the three core disciplines established in 2024, the 2026 edition will officially add viola and chamber music. Together, the five tracks will cover strings, keyboard performance and ensemble art.
A major highlight is the launch of offline preliminary rounds across multiple regions worldwide for the first time. Regional preliminaries are scheduled to take place from July to September 2026. Outstanding contestants selected from each region will gather in Beijing in November 2026 for the global finals.
The competition will remain divided into amateur and professional divisions. The amateur division includes global preliminaries and finals. The professional division includes global preliminaries, a first round, semifinals and finals. Open to young musicians under the age of 18 worldwide, the event will provide dedicated age groups and development opportunities for participants at different stages.
The organizing committee also announced the first online voting channel and Best Audience Award. In addition to professional evaluation by an authoritative jury of leading musicians and educators, audiences around the world will be able to watch contestants online and vote for their favorite future stars. The initiative brings classical music out of the usual closed circle and turns a high-level competition into a public platform for music appreciation.
The Khachaturian Youth Music Week, held in parallel with the competition, will also introduce new formats. In addition to masterclasses, lectures and winners' concerts, the music week will present interactive classical music activities, creating an immersive learning and exchange environment for contestants and young music students.
Original Chinese title: 【人民网】2026哈恰图良国际青少年比赛启动 新增中提琴与室内乐两大专业门类
Original link: https://www.khachaturiancompetition-cn.com/?p=202&a=view&r=210
