Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan will present the next concert in the Emporia Arts Council series on October 18 in the Granada Theatre, Kansas.

Hakhnazaryan received the first prize and gold medal at the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and was hailed as “a seasoned phenom” in the Washington Post’s review of his Kennedy Center debut.

“He produces a powerful and colorful sound in all registers, nails every big shift and flashes all the virtuoso’s tricks with insolent ease,” the Post review said. “He should have a stellar career.”

The 2011-2012 season will bring his first concerto appearance at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the direction of Ryan McAdams, as part of the Young Concert Artists Gala.

The season for Hakhnazaryan also includes performances with the London Symphony and the Mariinsky Orchestra, a five-concert tour across Europe with the Moscow Philharmonic; and other international orchestras in Milan, Jerusalem, and Tokyo, The Emporia Gazette reported.