Sevak Avanesyan

Described as “a musician of extraordinary virtuosity and a remarkable range of sound capacities” (Bernard Greenhouse) and “undoubtedly one of the most gifted musicians of his generation” (Janos Starker), Armenian cellist Sevak Avanesyan is an internationally acclaimed artist. He is the former solo cellist of the National Orchestra of Belgium and a regular jury member of prestigious competitions, including Ysaye, Triomphe de l'Art, and AGBU music competitions.

Sevak has won numerous international competitions, including:

• First Prize at the Young Soloists Competition (Luxembourg)
• First Prize at the Lions Club European Competition
• Golden Label Prize by the Belgian Music Press Association
• First Prize at Belgische Stichting Roeping Promotion
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Displaying exceptional talent from a young age, Sevak became the youngest graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. At just 19 years old, he completed his studies with highest distinction under Viviane Spanoghe. He later pursued advanced studies with Claudio Bohorquez at the Hans Eisler Musikhochschule in Berlin. Additionally, he has received invaluable guidance from world-renowned musicians such as Janos Starker, Bernard Greenhouse, Steven Isserlis, Mischa Maisky, Maria Kliegel, Lluís Claret, Peter Bruns, Gary Hoffman, Wolfgang Boettcher, Igor Oistrakh, Artemis Quartet, and Gerhard Schulz.

Sevak has performed as a soloist with major orchestras, including:

• Sinfonia Varsovia
• National Orchestra of Belgium
• Slovenia Symphony Orchestra
• Indian Symphony Orchestra
• La Chapelle Sauvage
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He has appeared at prestigious concert venues such as:

• Salle Gaveau (Paris)
• Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels)
• Ford Hall (Toronto)
• Queen Elizabeth Hall (Antwerp) (grand opening performance, 2017)
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Sevak is also a sought-after chamber musician, having collaborated with renowned artists such as Augustin Dumay, Philippe Graffin, Pascal Devoyon, Pavel Gililov, Maxim Vengerov, Aleksei Moshkov, Yuri Bashmet, and Gidon Kremer.

He has performed at major festivals, including:

• Festival de Radio France (Montpellier)
• Juventus Festival
• Menton Festival
• Brahms Festival (Brussels)
• Les Musicales de Cambrai

Sevak has worked with esteemed conductors such as Hanns Graf, Hugh Wolff, Andrei Boreyko, and most recently, George Pehlivanyan for the world premiere of "DNA 15a15", composed by A. Irandian, at Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels).

In 2016, the documentary “Rhythm & Intervals”, directed by Gomes Schahbazyan, premiered, showcasing Sevak’s life as a musician in Berlin during his studies. The film has won multiple festival awards and was broadcast on ARTE TV.