Sevan
Gharibian
Composer, performer
Biography
Sevan Gharibian, born in Yerevan in 2000, is an Armenian-Lebanese composer whose music intertwines a rich cultural heritage with a distinctive exploration of contemporary sound. From 2020 to 2025, he developed his artistic formation at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid under the mentorship of Fabián Panisello, earning an MA in Composition for Theatre and Ensemble in 2023. His compositional practice has been further enriched by guidance from renowned composers including Heinz Holliger, Tristan Murail, Stefano Gervasoni, Jörg Widmann, José Manuel López López, Alessandro Solbiati, and Johannes Maria Staud. Beginning his formal composition studies at the age of 16 with Vartan Adjemian at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, Gharibian graduated with First Class Honours in both his BA (2020) and MA (2022), achieving the highest GPA at the institution. His formation also encompassed intensive studies in violin, piano, and conducting.Gharibian has received several international accolades. In 2021, he was awarded the Diploma of the Most Outstanding Student of the IF Composition Chair, presented to him by Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain. His award-winning works include Lustre for baritone and piano, which won First Prize at the IX Renaissance International Contest-Festival in Gyumri; Three Færies for piano, winner of the International Composition Competition The Contemporary Piano (ICCTCP) 2020 in Athens; and Five Moons, winner of the PluralEnsemble Call for Young Composers 2021, featured on the ensemble’s National Tour across Spain. His choral work Nazan-Nabiko received both the jury’s First Prize and the Audience Award at the 4th ALS International Choral Composition Competition (ALSCCC) in 2021. Additionally, his string quartet Cedars was recorded by Invoke as part of Golden Hornet’s String Quartet Smackdown VI in Austin, Texas.Gharibian’s music has been featured at major international festivals, including Bachfest Leipzig 2023, XI Festival Encuentros Sonoros, XII Spanish Contemporary Music Days, IX Rafel Festival, the Komitas Festival, and the Armenian Young Composers Chamber Music Festival. His collaborations with ensembles, institutions, and artists across different disciplines reflect an ongoing engagement with context-specific creation and interdisciplinary exchange. In 2022, he premiered Green:Blue · On Lake Maggiore for ensemble—commissioned for the Accademia della Voce del Piemonte’s Il suono dei parchi e dei laghi del Piemonte project and inspired by environmental themes—in Verbania, Italy.In 2025, this trajectory expanded with several significant projects, including Saccidānanda for orchestra with the Orquesta de Extremadura in Badajoz and Cáceres, Spain, and [en]canto for wind quintet, dedicated to the Reina Sofía School of Music, which marked Gharibian’s Carnegie Hall debut in New York during the School’s gala concert, in the gracious presence of HM Queen Sofía and other distinguished guests.Rosas de nieve, a song cycle composed in collaboration with Spanish poet Luis Muñoz and first performed at Madrid’s Auditorio Sony, extends his sustained interest in interdisciplinary creation, rooted in his chamber opera Antígona (2023–24), also premiered at the same venue. In 2026, Gharibian will present a new work at the TONO Festival in Bergamo, Italy, exploring the interplay between music and visual arts through a landscape-inspired project.Distinguished by sensitivity and intellectual rigour, Gharibian stands at the vanguard of today’s compositional scene, drawing on his multicultural heritage and commitment to both contemporary and historical traditions. Beyond his musical practice, his studies in Management and Digital Innovation at the University of London equip him to shape the evolving artistic landscape by fostering innovative intersections among art, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Nov 2025 / 558 words. Not to be altered without permission.
Biographies in other languages:
Selected works
Calendar
2025
13 November
🕢 7.30 p.m.
Reina Sofía School of Music Gala Concert
📍 Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, United States
🎶 [en]canto for wind quintet, dedicated to the Reina Sofia School of Music on the occasion of its Carnegie Hall debut
📯 Madalena Lopes, flute/piccolo · Nedley Robles, oboe · Emanuel Rupa, clarinet · Max Santos, horn · Juan Carlos Paredes, bassoon
23 June
🕢 7.30 p.m.
Academic Concert: Composition | Prof. Fabián Panisello
📍 Sony Auditorium, Madrid, Spain
🎶 Rosas de nieve (poems by L. Muñoz) for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and wind quintet
👥 Olga Syniakova, mezzo-soprano · Isaac Galán, baritone · Composition Chair Ensemble · Fabián Panisello, conductor
28 March
🕖 7 p.m.
Pre-concert talk
🕗 8 p.m.
Concert
Concert: Generación Talento
📍 Palacio de Congresos de Cáceres, Cáceres, Spain
🎶 Saccidānanda for orchestra, world premiere
🏛️ Orquesta de Extremadura (OEX) · Ana María Patiño-Osorio, conductor
27 March
🕖 7 p.m.
Pre-concert talk
🕗 8 p.m.
Concert
Concert: Generación Talento
📍 Palacio de Congresos de Badajoz Manuel Rojas, Badajoz, Spain
🎶 Saccidānanda for orchestra, world premiere
🏛️ Orquesta de Extremadura (OEX) · Ana María Patiño-Osorio, conductor
2024
24 June
🕢 7.30 p.m.
Academic Concert: Composition | Prof. Fabián Panisello
📍 Sony Auditorium, Madrid, Spain
🎶 Antígona, chamber opera for soprano, baritone, tenor, and eight instrumentalists
🎭 Isabella Gaudí, soprano · Isaac Galán, baritone · Composition Chair Ensemble · Fabián Panisello, conductor
23 January
🕢 7.30 p.m.
Academic Concert: Composition | Prof. Fabián Panisello
📍 Sony Auditorium, Madrid, Spain
🎶 Flows & Flexions for eight instruments
👥 Miguel Flores, flute · Fidel Fernández, oboe · Pablo Díaz, clarinet · Ángela Martínez, bassoon · Álvaro Parrón, horn · Andrés Felipe Estrada, trumpet · Ricardo Ortiz, trombone · Ramsés Martínez, double bass
2023
26 June
🕢 7.30 p.m.
Academic Concert: Composition | Prof. Fabián Panisello
📍 Sony Auditorium, Madrid, Spain
🎶 Antigone Sketches for soprano, baritone, and ensemble
🎭 Isabella Gaudí, soprano · Isaac Galán, baritone · PluralEnsemble
10 June
🕢 7.30 p.m.
Bachfest Leipzig: No 23 A-cappella-Konzert
📍 Völkerschlachtdenkmal, Leipzig, Germany
🎶 Nazan-Nabiko for SSAA choir
👧🏻 Little Singers of Armenia
24 January
🕢 7.30 p.m.
2022
30 June
🕢 7.30 p.m.
Academic Concert: Composition | Prof. Fabián Panisello
📍 Sony Auditorium, Madrid, Spain
🎶 PH03N1X for tape
🎶 Rumūz for voice and ensemble
🎤 Donatienne Michel-Dansac, mezzo-soprano · Sofía Salazar, flute · Diego Micó Estruch, clarinet · Nerea Vera, percussion · Magdalena Cerezo, piano · Abel Ivars Morales, double bass · Fabián Panisello, conductor
2021
21 October
🕔 5 p.m.
Pedagogical Concert about Contemporary Music
📍 Getafe Professional Conservatory of Music, Getafe, Spain
🎶 Five Moons for ensemble
👥PluralEnsemble
18 October
🕖 7 p.m.
4th ALS International Choral Composition Competition ALSCCC
📍 Komitas Chamber Music House, Yerevan, Armenia
🎶 Nazan-Nabiko for SSAA choir
👧🏻 Little Singers of Armenia
ℹ️ More info
5 March
Concert-Recording
📍 Sony Auditorium, Madrid, Spain
🎶 Monodia for clarinet
🪈 Diego Micó Estruch
🎶 In Dialogue with Three Madrigals of Gesualdo for wind quintet
📯 Globo Ensemble
News
18 October 2021 — 🥇 I am exhilarated to be the winner of the 4ᵗʰ ALS International Choral Composition Competition (ALSCCC) dedicated to the 150ᵗʰ anniversary of the birth of Komitas. 🎶 My choral piece Nazan-Nabiko was awarded the First Prize by the distinguished jury. 💖 I am delighted to also receive the Audience Award! 💐 A huge thank you to Maestro Tigran Hekekyan and the Little Singers of Armenia for the soul-stirring performance.
October 2021 — Absolutely thrilled to announce that I am a winner of the PluralEnsemble Call for Young Composers 2021. 🎊 My piece for ensemble Five Moons will be performed by the marvellous musicians of PluralEnsemble as part of their 2021 tour. 🎶 My gratitude to everyone at PluralEnsemble for organizing this wonderful project. 💙
22 June 2021 — 🎺📜 Incredibly honoured to receive the Diploma of the Most Outstanding Student of the IF Composition Chair from Her Majesty Queen Sofía. 🇪🇸
10 August 2020 — It is with great excitement that I share the recording of my Three Faeries as the winner of the International Composition Competition ‘The Contemporary Piano’ 2020 in Athens 🇬🇷. Performed by Dimitris Anousis—composer, pianist, and Director of AN ART ARTISTRY. A big thanks for this marvellous production.
22 May 2020 — I’m now a verified artist on Spotify, 🎧 where you can follow me and listen to my string quartet Cedars, performed by Invoke and recorded by Golden Hornet! 🤩 Also available on Apple Music, Yandex Music, Deezer, TIDAL, Amazon Music, QQ Music, and Anghami!
22 May 2020 — A big thanks to Dr Artsvi Bakhchinyan for writing about my recent accomplishments in Azg Daily.
4 May 2020 — Thank you so much to Armenian National Music for sharing about my recent achievement!
1 May 2020 — I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I am the winner of the International Composition Competition ‘The Contemporary Piano’ (2020) organised by AN ART ARTISTRY (Athens, 🇬🇷) for my composition Three Færies, among the three prize-winning composers. 🧚
15 February 2020 — So excited to be a finalist in Golden Hornet’s String Quartet Smackdown VI and share this good news with you! My piece for string quartet will be recorded by the wonderful Invoke Quartet! 🎻✨ A panel of judges helped select the sixteen finalist compositions from hundreds of submissions around the world to be performed live in Austin, TX 🇺🇸 on February 29, 2020 by the Invoke Quartet. 💜
Press & media
The Madrid Review, ‘Un momento con Luis Muñoz, poeta y escritor (Cosmopoética, 3/10)’, 2 October 2025, link.
Melómano Digital, ‘Nueva edición de “Generación Talento” de la OEX y la ESMRS’, 25 March 2025, link.
Rosado, Benjamín G., ‘Tinta fresca en los atriles de las orquestas españolas’, El Mundo, 23 September 2024, link.
Orquesta de Extremadura, ‘Presentamos la temporada 2024-2025’, 31 May 2024, link
Sahakyan, Lusine, ‘Կոմիտասի և կոմիտասագիտության ֆենոմենը’ [The phenomenon of Komitas and Komitasology], Interview by Anahit Margaryan, Artfocus, Shoghakat TV, 21 October 2022, link.
Gabrielyan, Ani, ‘Կոմպոզիտոր Սևան Ղարիբյանի ստեղծագործական դիմանկարի փորձ’ [An attempt at a creative portrait of Sevan Gharibian], AZG Daily, 9 October 2022, link.
Città di Verbania, ‘Concerto di Sevan Gharibian’, 23 May 2022, link
Torino News World, ‘Gharibian, laureando in composizione. “Green Blue”, prima mondiale a Verbania’, 18 May 2022, link
Rosado, Benjamín G., ‘Escuela Reina Sofía: tres décadas en el laboratorio de la música del futuro’, El Mundo, 15 April 2022, link.
Casa de Su Majestad el Rey, ‘Reunión del patronato de la Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía’, 9 March 2022, link
Angelini, Andrea, ‘4th International Choral Competition Dedicated to Komitas Vardapet’, International Choral Bulletin, XLI, no. 1, 2022, pp. 46–47, link.
Vayón, Pablo J., ‘Sobre escombros de gigantes’, Diario De Sevilla, 30 October 2021, p. 49, link.
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Kingdom of Spain, June 2021, link.
Armenpress HYE RUS, Public Radio of Armenia HYE ENG, Armenian National Music HYE ENG, News.am HYE ENG RUS, A1Plus HYE RUS, Aravot HYE, Panorama.am HYE ENG, The Armenian Report ENG, Composers Union of Armenia HYE, Tert.am HYE, Yelaket HYE, 1Lurer.am HYE, Analitik.am HYE, Gala HYE RUS, Lragir HYE, Onnet.am HYE, Factor HYE RUS, Shabat.am HYE, Interlur HYE, Freenews.am HYE, Armpublic.com HYE, HyeTert HYE, Iammedia HYE, 24News HYE RUS, Radio Hay HYE, Radio Van RUS, Karap.lv RUS, Orer HYE, Verelq RUS.
Scherzo, ‘La Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía organiza un concierto de su Cátedra de Composición’, April 2021, link.
Golden Hornet artist page, August 2020, link.
An Art Artistry artist page, August 2020, link.
Bakhchinyan, Artsvi, ‘Երևանցի ուսանողը՝ աթենքյան մրցույթի դափնեկիր’, AZG Daily, 5 May 2020, link.
Armenian National Music, ‘Sevan Gharibian Becomes International Composition Competition Awardee’, 3 May 2020, link.
Gharibian, Sevan, ‘In perfect harmony: Musicianship, Management and Digital Innovation’, London Connection, University of London, 3 December 2019, link.
‘Mondoblog répond présent à Erevan !’, RFI, 13 October 2018, link.
‘En direct du Sommet de la Francophonie’, TV5MONDE Info, 10 October 2018, link.
Danielyan, Samvel, ‘Foreigners Prefer the Conservatory of Yerevan’, Aravot, 18 January 2018, link.
Dzaynagir, Shoghakat TV, 23 December 2017, link.
Rukhkyan, Margarita, ‘The Inner Voice of People’. Golos Armenii, 13 June 2017, link.
Sarkisyan, Svetlana, ‘Armenian Young Composers Chamber Music Festival’, Armenian Composer, 2017.
Contact
Gallery
Portraits
Saccidānanda with OEX in Badajoz and Cáceres
With Heinz Holliger
With Tristan Murail
With Jörg Widmann
With Stefano Gervasoni
Receiving the Diploma from HM Queen Sofía
With Krzysztof Penderecki
Three Færies for piano (rev. 2020)
Winner of the International Composition Competition The Contemporary Piano (ICCTCP) 2020Performed by Dimitris Anousis, composer, pianist, and Director of An Art Artistry
Cedars for string quartet (rev. 2019)
Finalist in Golden Hornet’s String Quartet Smackdown VI‘The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.’ I have adhered to the cedar’s perception as a spirit assistant, a symbol of strength and eternity. My piece bears cross-genre influences and is episodic in form, denoting the spiritual-cultural states I have experienced.Performed by Invoke: Nick Montopoli, violin; Zachariah Matteson, violin; Karl Mitze, viola; Geoff Manyinat, violoncello
Fæs & Færies for piano solo (2017)
6 choreographic pictures for piano‘Ignis fatuus’ 🔥
‘Dryad & Oread’ 🏔
‘Night Færie’ 🌌
‘Game Færie’ 🃏
‘Dew Færie’ 💧
‘Dæva’ 🐲The work is inspired by Greek and Armenian mythologies; each movement depicts and is dedicated to a færie (mythological creature). It features evocative scenes and characteristic depictions, enlivened by the variety of textures and techniques.
Moonlit Night for soprano and piano (2016)
Moonlit night,
The sky is bright,
Myriads of stars
Are shining bright.The village in the vale
Is already asleep,
The villager’s cottage
Is dusky and still.They are asleep, cuddling,
Against the sky,
As though God
Is smiling from above.— Hovhannes Tumanyan
(translation: Vanse)
Lustre for voice and piano (2017)
First Prize Winner in the Renaissance International Contest-Festival IXText: Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, excerpts from Canto III
Phantasia for violin and piano (2017)
Conundrum for piano solo (2016)
Conundrum is a piece for solo piano, composed in 2016. Chiefly mysterious in mood, it combines different modern Western scales (mostly centred around E and B) and pianistic as well as monophonic, biphonic, polyphonic textures from different periods. The piece starts off with an opening theme in the dominant, which proceeds to the tonic, an ostinato bass whereon is based the skeleton of the piece. The different dialogues between sinister and æthereal themes lead to the elucidation of the conundrum on the B major chord.
Arcade for chamber ensemble (2021)
Premiered by Sinfonietta Composición I; Jorge Mora, percussion; Fabián Panisello, conductor
Academic Concert, IF International Foundation Composition Chair of the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, Auditorio Sony, Madrid, 20 April 2021
Monodia for clarinet (2020)
Premiered by Diego Micó Estruch, clarinet
Academic Concert, IF International Foundation Composition Chair of the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, Auditorio Sony, Madrid, 5 March 2021
Nazan-Nabiko for SSAA choir (2020)
First Prize and Audience Award in the 4th ALS International Choral Composition CompetitionPremiered by the Little Singers of Armenia
Komitas Chamber Music House, Yerevan, 18 October 2021
In Dialogue with Three Madrigals of Gesualdo for wind quintet (2021)
In Dialogue with Three Madrigals of Gesualdo for wind quintet presents three distinct ways of encountering Gesualdo from a modern perspective. Each of the three parts of the piece draws on material from a madrigal from Gesualdo’s Book VI, often unfurled in a pulverized or disintegrated fashion. The first part features rapid motifs with pitch material based on ‘Beltà poi che t’assenti’ and its characteristic intonation hidden in between recurrent verticalities and horizontalities with sudden outbursts of more recognizable quotations as well. The second part is seemingly calmer in nature, beginning with an exact quotation of the introductory chords of ‘Già piansi nel dolore’, upon which evolves a gradual and elaborate harmonic mutation that grows to hold in intensity and dramatism even at ppp. The final part is mainly inspired by Gesualdo’s chromaticism. It begins with a diatonic texture in which sparkling chromatic descents are heard from all the instruments of the quintet. At times, chords from ‘Io pur respiro in così gran dolore’ surface, eventually ushering in the piece’s chromatic fade out.
Biografia
Sevan Gharibian, compositore armeno-libanese nato a Erevan nel 2000, sviluppa un linguaggio musicale che intreccia la ricchezza della propria eredità culturale con un’esplorazione personale del suono contemporaneo. Tra il 2020 e il 2025 ha completato la sua formazione presso la Scuola Superiore di Musica Reina Sofía di Madrid, studiando con Fabián Panisello e conseguendo nel 2023 il master in composizione drammatica e per ensemble strumentale. La sua pratica compositiva è stata ulteriormente nutrita dall’incontro e dalla guida di figure di primo piano quali Heinz Holliger, Tristan Murail, Stefano Gervasoni, Jörg Widmann, José Manuel López López, Alessandro Solbiati e Johannes Maria Staud. Ha iniziato gli studi di composizione a 16 anni con Vartan Adjemian presso il Conservatorio Statale Komitas di Erevan, dove si è laureato con lode sia nel corso di laurea (2020) sia nel master (2022), ottenendo la media più alta dell’istituto. La sua formazione in Armenia ha incluso anche un’intensa attività di studio del violino, del pianoforte e della direzione d’orchestra.Il suo lavoro è stato riconosciuto da numerosi premi internazionali. Nel 2021 ha ricevuto il diploma di miglior studente della sua cattedra, conferitogli da Sua Maestà la regina Sofía di Spagna. Tra le sue opere premiate figurano Lustre per baritono e pianoforte, vincitrice del primo premio al IX Concorso-Festival Internazionale Renacimiento di Gyumri (Armenia); Three Færies per pianoforte, opera vincitrice del concorso internazionale di composizione The Contemporary Piano (ICCTCP) 2020 ad Atene; e Five Moons, selezionata come opera vincitrice della Call per giovani compositori 2021 di PluralEnsemble ed eseguita nella tournée nazionale dell’ensemble in Spagna. Nello stesso anno, il brano corale Nazan-Nabiko ha ottenuto sia il primo premio della giuria sia quello del pubblico al IV Concorso Internazionale di Composizione Corale dell’Armenian Little Singers International Association (ALSCCC) a Erevan. Il suo quartetto Cedars è stato inoltre registrato dall’ensemble Invoke nell’ambito del VI String Quartet Smackdown di Golden Hornet, ad Austin (Texas).La sua musica è stata programmata in diversi festival internazionali, fra cui Bachfest Leipzig 2023, l’XI Festival Encuentros Sonoros, le XII Giornate di Musica Contemporanea Spagnola, il IX Rafel Festival, il Komitas Festival e il Festival di Musica da Camera dei Giovani Compositori Armeni. Nel 2022 ha presentato a Verbania Green:Blue · On Lake Maggiore per ensemble, opera commissionata dall’Accademia della Voce del Piemonte per il progetto «Il suono dei parchi e dei laghi del Piemonte», concepita in dialogo con tematiche ambientali.Nel 2025 ha portato a compimento due progetti di particolare rilievo: Saccidānanda per orchestra, eseguita dall’Orchestra d’Estremadura a Badajoz e Cáceres; ed [en]canto per quintetto di fiati, un brano dedicato alla Scuola Superiore di Musica Reina Sofía, con il quale ha debuttato al Carnegie Hall di New York nel gala della Scuola seguito al concerto inaugurale, alla presenza della Regina Sofía e di altre personalità di spicco.Il ciclo di liriche Rosas de nieve, composto in collaborazione con il poeta granadino Luis Muñoz ed eseguito nell’Auditorium Sony, amplia il suo interesse per il lavoro interdisciplinare, già evidente nell’opera da camera Antígona (2023-24), anch’essa presentata nello stesso auditorium. Nel 2026 presenterà una nuova opera al TONO Festival di Bergamo, un progetto dedicato al rapporto tra musica e paesaggio con significative connessioni alle arti visive.Dotato di una sensibilità singolare e di un rigoroso approccio intellettuale, Gharibian orienta la sua ricerca compositiva verso un equilibrio tra tradizione e innovazione, in una prospettiva profondamente permeata dalla sua identità multiculturale. Parallelamente alla sua attività artistica, i suoi studi in gestione e innovazione digitale presso l’Università di Londra mirano a promuovere nuove intersezioni tra arte, tecnologia e imprenditorialità nel panorama culturale contemporaneo.