MOSCOW — Armenia’s Narek Hakhnazaryan won XIV International Tchaikovsky Cello Competition in Moscow. Hakhnazaryan won a gold medal and a prize of EUR 20,000.
Hakhnazaryan, 22, also took the audience award for an incredible performance on the cello. Edgar Moreau of France took the second place and received EUR 15,000, while Ivan Karizna from Belarus took a bronze medal and EUR 10,000.
Hakhnazaryan has been at the centre of a scandal when the Russian conductor Mark Gorenstein, insulted his ethnic origin during a rehearsal for his concerto performance, by calling him an aul. (which means a Caucasian village).
“It is none of your concern what this ‘talented’ boy, this aul plays, you should play with me,” Gorenstein told the orchestra at a rehearsal on June 25.
Gorenstein‘s expression insulted journalists that were present at the rehearsal and made the incident public by issuing a statement.
“We believe that words, which insult human dignity, ruin the creative atmosphere on which we make great efforts. The Tchaikovsky Competition is to support young talents and both participants and organizers of the competition should show respect towards talented youth,” the statement reads.
Later Gorenstein apologized for his behavior and confessed he had no intentions to insult Hakhnazaryan’s national origin. His apology was accepted by Hakhnazaryan.
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