Kiron Atom Tellian

Austrian pianist and composer Kiron Atom Tellian currently pursues his bachelor’s degree at The Juilliard School in New York, studying with Maestro Sergei Babayan. He is a proud recipient of the prestigious Kovner Fellowship, which, among other things, covers all expenses for the entire duration of his studies.

© photo Shervin Lainez

Growing up in Vienna, Tellian started studying piano at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW) when he was only seven years old, going on to play his debut with orchestra at the age of nine.
Tellian is the winner of countless first prizes at national and international competitions for piano, chamber music, and composition in Austria, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Slovakia, Russia, England, the USA, and Japan.
In Fall 2024, Tellian won the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. He was additionally awarded eight special prizes, including The Friends of Music Concerts Performance Award, The Hayden’s Ferry Chamber Music Series Prize, The Liliane Questel Recital Award, The Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation Prize, The Alexander Kasza-Kasser Concert Prize, The Paul A. Fish Memorial Prize and The Stern Young Artist Development Award.
Among his other prizes, especially noteworthy are the first prize and Haydn prize at the prestigious 17th Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany, the grand prize and special prizes at the X.
Savshinsky International Music Competition in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and three first prizes in three different categories at the Fifth Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition in New York City, USA.
Tellian won the Grand Prize, the “Alexei Sultanov Memorial Discovery Prize”, as well as the prizes for the best mazurka and the best Etude at the Nashville International Chopin Competition. Shortly after, Tellian won the First Prize at the Borderland Chopin International Competition. As a composer, Tellian’s works span different instruments and ensembles, with many compositions winning first prizes at composers’ competitions. This season, he has been commissioned to write a piece for orchestra, to be performed at the Vienna Musikverein.
Some of the last season’s special moments were concerts with the conductor and violinist Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, involving duo recitals in the Shoe Factory in Cyprus, as part of the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany, with a live broadcast in the NDR, as well as at the Viotti-Festival in Italy. Tellian played Chopin recitals for the opening of the prestigious music festival Kulturfest im Schloss Walpersdorf as well as at the Konzerthaus Blaibach, the Vienna Konzerthaus, and performed with orchestras such as the WKO Heilbronn. Another highlight was his invitation to the Verbier Festival, performing both solo and chamber music.
This season’s highlights include recitals at the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Viotti Festival, and the Vienna Musikverein, as well as with the El Paso Symphony. A special moment will be Tellian’s debut with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano playing Chopin’s first piano concerto.
Next season’s special moments include, Tellian performing at the Villa Senar by invitation of the Rachmaninov Foundation. He will perform his debut with the San Diego Symphony as well as at Carnegie Hall, performing a solo recital.