Atken Armenian Foundation

10/15/2026

Lyana continues to impress! Bravo Lyana!

10/07/2026

🎻 So proud of Lyana and everything she accomplished at this important musical institution in Germany! 🇩🇪✨

Lyana is a valued Atken Armenian Foundation scholarship recipient, and it is a real joy for us to continue to support such a gifted, passionate, and hardworking young musician. Her talent and dedication continue to impress us, and we are very excited to follow the next steps of her musical journey. ❤️🎶🇦🇲

09/16/2026

We are pleased to announce the creation of the Dr. Mohammed Haroon Memorial Music Scholarships, which will support several talented young Armenian musicians each year in memory of Dr. Mohammed Haroon. 🇦🇲 🎶 🇬🇾

This new initiative honours his memory by investing in the musical development and future of young people.

Read more about the scholarships and the story behind them below. ❤️

Memorial Music Scholarships, made possible by donations collected by Professor Arpi Hamalian in memory of Dr. Mohammed Haroon (1939–2025).

09/16/2026

🎉🎻 A huge congratulations to Lyana Ulikhanyan Ulikhanyan Sisters on her wonderful performances at the in Liechtenstein, where she is participating in the intensive cello program and studying with the distinguished Prof. Ivan Monighetti. 🌟🎶

We are especially grateful to a wonderful anonymous couple from Canada whose generous donation covered the full cost of bringing Lyana to 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 🇱🇮, including her tuition, travel, room and board. 🙏 Thank you — you know who you are. Your generosity made this extraordinary opportunity possible for a very deserving young Armenian musician. 🇦🇲

What a talent, and what a wonderful example of a young Armenian artist worthy of the support of her community and her nation. ✨ You make us proud, Lyana!

Enjoy these two performances: yesterday’s Schubert trio 🎼, followed by Bach and Ulikhanyan today. 🎻🎶

Bravo, Lyana! 👏🇦🇲🎻🇱🇮

https://www.kulmag.live/de/Video/218/violoncello-im-fokus/musician/404

https://www.kulmag.live/de/Video/217/klaviertrios-von-schubert-beethoven-und-mendelssohn-bartholdy

09/06/2026

🎶 We continue our 2026–27 scholarship announcements with our second Full Fellowship recipient: Anahit Stelmashova, a young Armenian pianist from Akhalkalaki, Javakhk (Javakheti), Georgia, who is entering her second year at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW).

Anahit arrived in Vienna with an already impressive international record, including performances with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), one of Poland’s leading orchestras with a major international reputation, as well as the Armenian Opera Orchestra, the Tbilisi State Symphony Orchestra and others.

In Vienna, she studies with Professor Avedis “Avo” Kouyoumdjian, one of Europe’s most successful piano teachers today. Recent pianists working closely with him have achieved extraordinary results at the Queen Elisabeth Competition, including First and Second Prizes in 2021 and First, Third and Fourth Prizes in 2025.

But Vienna itself has also become part of Anahit’s education: concerts, rehearsals, remarkable musical encounters, and the chance to live every day in one of the great musical cities of the world.

Through the Levon and Ana Afeyan Fellowship, the Atken Armenian Foundation will continue to support Anahit’s studies and living expenses in Vienna for 2026–27, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Levon and Ana Afeyan of Montreal.

Read Anahit’s story below.

Go Anahit, go! 🎶❤️

Originally from Akhalkalaki, Javakhk, Georgia, Anahit is entering her second year at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW), where she studies piano with Professor Avedis “Avo” Kouyoumdjian.

09/04/2026

🎻🎹 Սիրելի՛ բարեկամներ,

Մենք թարմացրել և ավելի հստակեցրել ենք Ռիչարդ Ուիլյամ Էլիոթի հիշատակի կրթաթոշակի դիմելու կարգը։

Այս բացառիկ հնարավորությունը նախատեսված է Հայաստանի տաղանդավոր երիտասարդ դաշնակահարների և լարային գործիքների կատարողների համար՝ մասնակցելու 2027 թվականի Schiermonnikoog Festival-ի վարպետության դասերին Նիդերլանդներում։ 🇳🇱

Խրախուսում ենք Հայաստանի լավագույն երիտասարդ երաժիշտներին դիմել և խնդրում ենք ուշադիր հետևել մեր կայքում նշված քայլերին և պահանջներին։

Դիմելու կարգն այժմ ներկայացված է հստակ և քայլ առ քայլ ձևով։

📌 Խորհուրդ ենք տալիս, որ դիմորդները լինեն առնվազն 17 տարեկան։

Մանրամասներին և դիմելու ամբողջ կարգին ծանոթացեք ստորև նշված հղումով։

🎻🎹 Dear friends,

We have updated and clarified the application instructions for the Richard William Elliott Memorial Scholarship.

This exceptional opportunity is open to talented young pianists and string players from Armenia who wish to participate in the 2027 Schiermonnikoog Festival Masterclasses in the Netherlands. 🇳🇱

We strongly encourage Armenia’s finest young musicians to apply and to follow the instructions on our website carefully.

The application process is now presented clearly, step by step.

📌 We recommend that applicants be at least 17 years old.

Please read the full details and application instructions at the link below.

08/30/2026

🎶 We are beginning our 2026–27 scholarship announcements!
Over the coming weeks, we will introduce the recipients of this year’s Atken Armenian Foundation Fellowships, Scholarships, Young Artist Awards and Musical Instrument Bank support and share a little about what each young artist has accomplished and what our support will make possible in the year ahead.
We begin with one of our two Full Fellowship recipients: Anna Karslyan, a young Armenian contralto from Ninotsminda, Javakhk (Javakheti), Georgia, who has just completed an extraordinary first year at McGill University in Montreal.
From Handel’s Alcina at Opera McGill to Puccini’s Suor Angelica at Prague Summer Nights, a perfect academic record, and major renewed scholarship support from McGill, Anna has had quite a year.
Through the Haig and Virginia Misakyan Fellowship, the Atken Armenian Foundation will continue to cover Anna’s room and board and remaining tuition expenses for 2026–27, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Misakyan family of Toronto.
Read Anna’s story below.
Go Anna, go! 🎶❤️

Anna arrived at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, last autumn to begin her Bachelor of Music after a year of preparatory work with her mentor, Armenian-Canadian soprano Aline Kutan. She immediately made her mark.

08/29/2026

https://www.atkenarmenianfoundation.com/articles/news/202526-scholarships-and-fellowships

Anna Karslyan — ContraltoStudies with Aline Kutan at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The fellowship provides comprehensive support for tuition and living expenses in Montreal.