ZARTONKHomeland Meets Diaspora

Lyana Ulikhanyan, a 15-year-old Armenian cellist from Yerevan, has won the prestigious Landgrave of Hesse Prize at Germany's Kronberg Academy. She shares the €5,000 award in equal parts with Miles Levine, 20, of the United States. The prize was established in 1994, the year of the first Cello Masterclasses, and goes to participants who particularly impress the faculty with their talent and artistic potential. The 2026 masterclasses drew 185 young musicians from around 35 countries to Kronberg. Over 6 days they worked with Frans Helmerson, Gary Hoffman, Jens Peter Maintz, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt and Ildikó Szabó, ending on September 30 with 2 final concerts and the awards ceremony at the Casals...