Sevan
Gharibian
Composer, performer
Biography
Sevan Gharibian (born in Yerevan in 2000) is an Armenian-Lebanese composer. Refining his artistry at the Reina Sofía School of Music since 2020, under the mentorship of Prof. Fabián Panisello, he recently obtained an MA in Composition for Theatre and Ensemble. His formal training commenced at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, where, at just 16, he studied under Prof. Vartan Adjemian. Graduating with First Class Honours in both his BA (2020) and MA (2022) in Composition, he holds the distinction of attaining the highest GPA in the conservatory’s history. His formative years were shaped by rigorous training in violin, an extensive piano repertoire, and conducting, under the guidance of Armenia’s most esteemed pedagogues. Over the course of his studies, his compositional practice has been enriched through masterclasses with composers such as Heinz Holliger, Tristan Murail, Jörg Widmann, Alessandro Solbiati, and Claude Ledoux.Sevan is the recipient of various international accolades. In 2021, he was conferred the Diploma of the Most Outstanding Student of the IF Composition Chair, which was presented to him by Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain. His works—ranging from solo and chamber music to choral and orchestral compositions—have garnered critical acclaim. Lustre for baritone and piano received First Prize at the IX Renaissance International Contest-Festival. His string quartet Cedars was recorded within the framework of Golden Hornet’s String Quartet Smackdown VI in Austin, TX. His solo piano work Three Færies won the International Composition Competition The Contemporary Piano (ICCTCP) 2020 in Athens, while Five Moons—winner of the PluralEnsemble Call for Young Composers 2021—was featured in the ensemble’s National Tour across Spain. His choral work Nazan-Nabiko triumphed at the 4th ALS International Choral Composition Competition (ALSCCC), securing both the First Prize of the jury and the Audience Award.Sevan’s works have been featured at prestigious festivals, including Bachfest Leipzig 2023, XI Festival Encuentros Sonoros, XII Spanish Contemporary Music Days, IX Rafel Festival, Komitas Festival, and Armenian Young Composers Chamber Music Festival. Notable commissions include Green:Blue · On Lake Maggiore (2022), written for the Accademia della Voce del Piemonte’s project Il suono dei parchi e dei laghi del Piemonte, premiered in Verbania, Italy, and the upcoming orchestral work Saccidānanda (2025), composed for the Orquesta de Extremadura, with premieres scheduled for March in Badajoz and Cáceres, Spain.A composer of profound sensitivity and intellectual rigour, Sevan synthesizes his multicultural background with contemporary and historical perspectives, forging a distinctive artistic language. His unwavering commitment to contemporary music places him at the vanguard of today’s compositional realm, shaping the soundscape of the present with a multifaceted artistic vision.Beyond his musical endeavours, he explores the intersection of art, technology, and entrepreneurship through his studies in Management and Digital Innovation at the University of London, equipping himself with a multidisciplinary perspective to navigate and shape the evolving artistic sphere.
Jan 2025 / 470 words. Not to be altered without permission.
Biographies in other languages:
Selected works
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Saccidānanda for orchestra | 2025 |
| Antígona, chamber opera for soprano, baritone, tenor, and eight instrumentalists | 2024 |
| Flows & Flexions for eight instruments | 2023 |
| Antigone Sketches for soprano, baritone, and ensemble | 2023 |
| Numina for horn and string quartet | 2023 |
| PH03N1X for tape | 2022 |
| Rumūz for voice and ensemble | 2022 |
| Green:Blue · On Lake Maggiore for ensemble | 2022 |
| Idylls for violin solo | 2022 |
| Five Moons for ensemble | 2021 |
| Arcade for chamber ensemble | 2021 |
| In Dialogue with Three Madrigals of Gesualdo for wind quintet | 2021 |
| Monodia for clarinet solo | 2020 |
| Nazan-Nabiko for SSAA choir | 2020 |
| Three Færies for piano solo | rev. 2020 |
| Cantica (IRIS 42°) for orchestra | 2019/20 |
| Albedo, 11 movements of 1 process for 22 strings | 2019 |
| The Boats for mezzo-soprano and piano (text by M. Medzarents) | 2019 |
| Time Crystals for piano solo | 2019 |
| Cedars for string quartet | rev. 2019 |
| Du Maître d’astres et de navigation for soprano, string quintet, and percussion (text by S.-J. Perse) | 2018 |
| 1724 °F for brass quintet | 2018 |
| Spring Rain for mixed choir (text by D. Varoujan) | 2017 |
| Phantasia for violin and piano | 2017 |
| Fæs & Færies for piano solo | 2017 |
| Lustre for voice and piano (text by Lord Byron) | 2017 |
| Piece for String Quartet | 2016 |
| Moonlit Night for soprano and piano (text by H. Tumanyan) | 2016 |
| Conundrum for piano solo | 2016 |
Calendar
2025
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, premiere
🏛️ Orquesta de Extremadura (OEX)
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, premiere
🏛️ Orquesta de Extremadura (OEX)
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 · PluralEnsemble
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
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
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.
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
B&W photoshoot
Photos from CD recording
Photos with Panisello, Charles, Widmann, Holliger, Solbiati, Ledoux, Adj, Man
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 sets forth three distinct ways of discovering Gesualdo from a modern point of view. Each of the three parts of the piece draw 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’, whereon evolves a gradual and elaborate harmonic mutation which grows to hold in intensity and dramatism even at ppp. The final part is mainly inspired from Gesualdo’s chromaticism. It begins with a diatonic texture wherein sparkle chromatic descents with all the instruments of the quintet. At times, chords from ‘Io pur respiro in così gran dolore’ surface, eventually ushering to the piece’s chromatic fade out.