CCM alumnus wins Armenia’s Khachaturian Conducting Competition
Fernando Gaggini won joint first prize and the Audience Award in the 2025 competition
UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus Fernando Gaggini (MM Orchestral Conducting. '19) recently won First Prize and the Audience Award at the 21st Khachaturian International Conducting Competition in Yerevan, Armenia. From a pool of over 250 applicants representing 25 countries, 18 conductors were invited to participate in the live rounds of the competition, held June 6–12, 2025.
Founded in 2003 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, the 2025 competition for conducting was open to conductors of any nationality or citizenship, aged between 18 and 35.
At the award ceremony, the jury remarked on the exceptionally high level of the finalists and made the rare decision to share the First Prize between Gaggini and Leonard Weis, stating that "both deserved the First Prize equally." Gaggini also received the Audience Award, while Weis was recognized with a Special Prize for Best Interpretation of Khachaturian’s Symphony No. 2.
Fernando Gaggini. Photo/ Khachaturian Competition.
In the first round, participants had a 30-minute morning rehearsal and a 20–25-minute evening performance. Each conductor selected one classical work (from Mozart’s Symphony No. 29, and Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 or 4) and one excerpt from Khachaturian’s stage works, which included selections from the ballets Spartacus, Gayaneh and Masquerade. In addition, all participants were required to conduct Penderecki’s "Adagietto" from Paradise Lost. This mandatory piece was kept secret until the opening ceremony on the first day.
Six conductors advanced to the final round, which unfolded over two days and included a 45-minute rehearsal and a 30-minute performance each. The repertoire was assigned to each conductor by draw of lots and included: Khachaturian’s complete Symphony No. 2, "Symphony with Bells" and one movement from either Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Brahms’ Symphony No. 4, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, "From the New World;" Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 7.
As part of his awards, Gaggini will return to Armenia to guest conduct the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra during its 2025–26 and 2026–27 seasons. Learn more about his work at fernandogaggini.com.
CCM Conducting Recent Alumni Success
- Brian McCann (MM Orchestral Conducting, '22): Assistant Conductor, Spoleto USA 2025; currently a Fellow at Merola Opera Center, San Francisco Opera
- William Langley (MM Orchestral Conducting, ’18): Assistant Conductor of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; recently named Resident Conductor of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
- Hannah Schendel (DMA candidacy in Orchestral Conducting): Recently appointed Assistant Conductor of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; Effron Fellow at Chautauqua 2025
- Momo Zhou (DMA candidacy in Orchestral Conducting): Participant in Geneva Conducting Competition 2025 (one of 25 in the world), CSO Conducting Fellow
- Xiao Geng (DMA candidacy in Orchestral Conducting): Named Conducting Fellow at Cabrillo Festival 2025
- Grant Gilman (DMA Orchestral Conducting, '17): Recently made conducting debut at Miami Music Festival 2025 (Ghosts of Versailles)
- Fernando Gaggini (MM Orchestral Conducting, '19): won First Prize at Khachaturian Conducting Competition 2025
- Isaac Selya (DMA Orchestra Conducting, '14): Recently named Assistant Conductor of Dayton Philharmonic; Music Director of Columbus (IN) Symphony
- Levi Hammer (DMA Orchestral Conducting, '20): Cincinnati Opera debut in Fiddler on the Roof (July 2025)
- Avishay Shalom (MM Orchestral Conducting, '16): Recently appointed Staff Conductor at Theater Bonn.
About CCM Orchestral Conducting
CCM offers graduate degrees in orchestral conducting at the masters (MM) and doctoral (DMA) levels. Under the tutelage of CCM Professor Mark Gibson, director of orchestral studies, student conductors learn the craft in a high-profile program at one of the finest conservatories in the country.
Graduates of CCM’s conducting programs go on to conduct and administrate highly successful professional, collegiate, community and children’s ensembles throughout the world. Conducting majors are led by some of academia’s greatest conductors in their respective fields of choral, orchestral and wind conducting. Conducting students receive extensive hands-on experience with a wide variety of CCM’s world-class student ensembles, as well as opportunities to lead other student musicians in staged productions and special musical events.
Featured image at top: Fernando Gaggini conducting. Photo/ Khachaturian Competition.
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