User:SilvaBaeva/sandbox

Seta Garabed Baltayan is a Bulgarian cellist, prize winner of the 1974 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia. Seta is born on April 4, 1976 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She starts taking cello lessons at the age of 7 with Bulgarian cellist Milcho Petrov. At the age of 10, she has her orchestral debut as a solloist of the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Mesru Mehmedov, playing the Goltermann concerto for cello and orchestra. The same year she meets for the first time renowned Russian cellist Daniil Shafran, who writes later in the Sovetskaya Muzika journal: "Her musical and vertuoso skills are phenomenal". In 1964 se wins second prize at the Third National Bulgarian Competition for children and young instrumentalists. In 1966 she enters the Plovdiv Music School in the class of professor Milcho Petrov. Her exceptional talent is noticed and she is given a scholarship by the [of Culture (Bulgaria)|Bulgarian Ministry of Culture] to continue her education in Moscow. 1968-1970 - Studies at the Central Music School in Moscow in the class of professor [Стефан Тимофеевич|Stefan Kalyanov] (assistant to Mstislav Rostropovich). 1970-1975 - Studies at the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Mstislav Rostropovich. Under his guidance, Seta Baltayan prepares to participate in the International Tchaikovsky Competition. 1974 - Seta Baltayan wins 4th prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition and the special prize for the best performance of a work of a Russian composer. In the entire history of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, this is the highest achievement by a Bulgarian cellist.