Cello lesson with the child prodigy Charlotte Melkonian (11) & Mikhail Mordvinov, piano

Since April 2022, Charlotte has been supported in the preparatory class at the Institute for Early Childhood Education for Musically Gifted Children at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, in particular by Prof. Martin Brauß. In addition, she has attended master classes with Prof. Philippe Muller, Narek Hakhnazaryan, Prof. Maria Kliegel, Prof. Jens Peter Maintz and Prof. David Geringas, among others. Charlotte has been a young student at the Julius Stern Institute at the Berlin University of the Arts in the cello class of Prof. Jens Peter Maintz since 2023.

She has won first prizes in numerous competitions, including: 1st prize with full points at Jugend Musiziert in the categories Cello Solo, Chamber Music Duo and Trio; 1st prize and special prize from the European Friends of Berlin at the International Young Ludwig Competition in Berlin 2022; 1st prize with distinction at the Hamburg Instrumental Competition 2022; 1st prize in the International Geringas Cello Competition in Klaipeda, Lithuania 2023; 1st prize at the I.Grunewald International Music Competition Berlin 2024. Charlotte was awarded the "Note by Note" chamber music sponsorship prize by the Jugend Musiziert Niedersachsen Foundation. She is also a scholarship holder at the Liechtenstein Music Academy, where she regularly takes part in the intensive weeks and activities. Charlotte is one of the youngest scholarship holders of the German Music Life Foundation.

Charlotte's concert activities include: performances as a soloist in the Laeiszhalle Hamburg with the Hanse Philharmonie Hamburg, the Düsseldorf Tonhalle, at the Summer Music Days in Hitzacker, at the Chamber Music Days in Hohenems, as well as as a soloist with the NDR Radiophilharmonie in the Konzerthaus Hannover, with the Sion Festival Orchestra at the Sion Violon Festival, with the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra and under the direction of Prof. David Geringas with the Geringas Chamber Orchestra in Berlin in the Berlin Philharmonie and the Rellinger Maifestival.

In 2024 Charlotte made her debut at Carnegie Hall as a soloist with the Orchestra of St. Luke's New York as part of the Siemens Arts Program.

Mikhail Mordvinov, born in Moscow, is one of the most important Russian pianists of his generation. After numerous successes in international competitions, he now performs worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician and song pianist. Radio and CD recordings document his virtuosity and musical maturity. Mordvinov began playing the piano at the age of six and has been taught in Tatjana Zelikman's piano class at the Moscow Gnessin Music School since he was seven.

In 1994 he began studying at the Russian Gnessin Academy under Professor Vladimir Tropp. There he was named "Best Student of the Year" in 1997. This was followed by postgraduate studies at the Hanover University of Music and Theater under Prof. Bernd Goetzke. Since he received the Scriabin Scholarship from the Moscow Scriabin Museum in 1994, he has been a regular guest at the Scriabin Music Festival. In 1997/98 Mikhail Mordvinov was also a Heinrich Neuhaus Scholar. Between 2004 and 2006 he was supported by the Keyboard Charitable Trust London.

Mikhail Mordvinov has won numerous competitions and has won, among other things, First Prize at the XII. International Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1996), First Prize and Special Prize at the VIth International Schubert Competition in Dortmund (1997), First Prize and Special Prize at the XIIth International Competition in Andorra (2006).