Sofya Melikyan (s.melikyan), Piano

Biography

Sofya Melikyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia, in 1978. She started piano studies at the age of five with Professor Anahit Shahbazyan. In 1994 Miss Melikyan moved to Spain and continued her musical education in the Royal Conservatory of Madrid, as a student of Joaquin Soriano. In 1999 she graduated from the Conservatory and was awarded the Highest Honor Prize. Subsequently she improved her professional skills under the guidance of Galina Egiazarova in Madrid and Brigitte Engerer in Paris. From 2001 to 2003 she completed the post-graduate program in the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot as a student of Ramzi Yassa, where she unanimously was awarded the Diplome Superieure d'Execution. Miss Melikyan participated in numerous Master Classes with such musicians as Vitaly Margulis, John O'Connor, Fanny Sorter, Francoise-Rene Duchable and Menahem Pressler.

Sofya Melikyan is a prizewinner of many International Competitions, including the First Prize and the Special Prize for Music Talent at the Marisa Montiel 16th Piano Competition in Linares, Spain; First Prize at the 13th International Piano Competition in Ibiza, Spain; and the prize for music interpretation awarded by Amigos del Colegio de España Association in Paris.

Miss Melikyan has performed at the New Names Armenian Festival in Yerevan, the Third Domenico Scarlatti Festival in Soria, the 14th International Festival of Ibiza, and the Bemus International Festival in Belgrade. She has performed in such halls as the Auditorio Nacional of Madrid, Theatre Monumental of Madrid, Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, Palace of Festivals of Santander, Historischen Kaufhaus Hall in Freiburg, Alfred Cortot Hall in Paris, and the Armenian Philharmonic Hall in Yerevan, among many others.

Miss Melikyan has soloed with the Armenian National Symphony Orchestra, Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra of Spain, and the "New Europe" Chamber Orchestra. Her performances have been heard on many radio and television stations, including National Radio of Spain, TV Classica Music Channel of Spain, National Radio and Television of Armenia, and Muzzik French TV Channel. Her two recorded CDs feature music of Haydn, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Albeniz, Dutilleux and Khachaturyan.

Currently Sofya Melikyan is working on her Master of Music Degree at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Solomon Mikowsky.