NAREK HAKHNAZARYAN

"What really distinguishes his playing is its effect on the listener. There is an immediate connection between his cello playing and those lucky enough to be in the audience. It’s that personal connection, that passion and musical charisma, that not only wins competitions, but people’s hearts as well.”

—The Boston Musical Intelligencer

Since winning First Prize and the Gold Medal at the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition at 22, cellist and conductor Narek Hakhnazaryan has become one of the most captivating musicians of his generation. Hailed as “dazzlingly brilliant” by The Strad and mentored by Mstislav Rostropovich, he has appeared with orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and London Symphony.

He is a former BBC New Generation Artist and an Honored Artist of Armenia. Increasingly active as a conductor, he founded a chamber orchestra in Armenia in 2024, which he leads as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor.

latest highlights

Narek Hakhnazaryan Conducted the Opening of Emir Kusturica’s Kustendorf Classic

August 2026
Mećavnik, Serbia

Narek Hakhnazaryan conducted Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 at the opening concert of Kustendorf Classic, the international classical music festival founded by filmmaker Emir Kusturica in his mountain village of Mećavnik in western Serbia.

The concert continued Hakhnazaryan’s collaboration with Kusturica, whose award-winning film On the Milky Road he contributed to as a musician. Each year the festival brings together young musicians and distinguished masters from around the world.

Narek Hakhnazaryan Conducting Debut in Spain with Vienna Chamber Orchestra

May 2026

Narek Hakhnazaryan will make his conducting debut in Spain, appearing both as conductor and soloist with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra in a series of concerts across Murcia, Zaragoza, Bilbao, and Santander in May 2026.

This debut marks an important milestone in his artistic development, bringing together his dual roles as cellist and conductor in a single program. The tour will showcase a repertoire that highlights both his instrumental virtuosity and his musical leadership, offering audiences a distinctive and cohesive artistic vision.

The performances form part of an expanding international presence as a conductor, building on his established career as an acclaimed cellist and opening a new chapter of artistic collaboration across leading European venues.

May 5, 2025
Yerevan, Armenia

In a sold-out concert in Yerevan, Narek Hakhnazaryan conducted the Artsakh Orchestra with world-renowned violinist Sergey Khachatryan as soloist.

The program featured Arutunian’s Concerto for Violin and Strings, Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, Mirzoyan’s Shushanik, and Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 in its chamber symphony arrangement.

Narek Hakhnazaryan and Sergey Khachatryan