Cellist Suren Bagratuni was only a teenager when he triumphed at the All-U.S.S.R. Cello Competition, the Transcaucasus Competition, and the All-Armenian Competition, and took home a silver medal from the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1986. Two years later he again took first place honors at Italy's Premio Vittorio Gui International Competition. Bagratuni began to study music in his native Armenia when he was seven years old. Later, in Moscow at the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, he studied with Natalia Shakhovskaya. Under Laurence Lesser in the U.S., he studied at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he later joined the faculty. He also has served as a professor at the School of Music, University of Illinois. Bagratuni has built a reputation on the world stage for his solo and chamber music performances, as well as through his recitals. Bagratuni also plays with the Moscow Conservatory Trio. He has released recordings through Ongaku and Melodiya. For recitals, Bagratuni frequently pairs with his cellist spouse, Natalia Khoma.