Varoujan Chetirian (1996) is a Swiss-Armenian musician and sound artist, currently based in Berlin. In addition to his work as a musician and electronic music producer, he develops unconventional ways of apprehending sound: installations, collages, sonic fictions. His research is nourished by multiple interdisciplinary collaborations.
⩥ CV
works and exhibitions
2025 Le Passage – Soundwalk in Veyrier about the passage through which Jewish infants could escape Nazi occupation from France to Switzerland during the second world war. Commission by Antigel Festival, Geneva. Text by Emmanuelle Destremau, music in collaboration with Eric Linder
2025 The Distance Between II – Second exhibition of the project based on the Herouni Space center in Armenia. Installed at Bethanien, as well as in the gallery FreiRaum, Berlin as part of “8ith” collective exhibition.
2025 Time Parallax– Commission of a soundtrack for a 23’ audio-visual project from Severin Guelpa about mining and ecology in Chile’s Atacama desert.
2024 Upcycled Acousmonium– Creation of a 22 channel/42 speakers acousmonium in the HayArt Museum, Yerevan, accompanied with a listening session in The Øffice for NOPA festival.
2024 The Distance Between – Audio- visual installation with 4 speakers, one metal plates, video projection and archives from the Herouni Space Center in Armenia. Installed at the Collegium Hungaricum, Berlin
2024 Sonic Bridges– 6 channel performance with artist talks on the topic of voice, archive, memory and sound. At DOCKS11, Berlin
2024 Chroniques Urbaines – Soundwalks, trilogy. Each soundwalk addresses the topic of urban youth violence. In collaboration with writers Emmanuelle Destremau, Antoine Jacoud and Olivia Csiky Trnka. Commission from Antigel Festival, Geneva. 03-16-17-18.02.24
2024 Horizon Vert– Soundwalk, in collaboration with Fabrice Melquiot (text) and CFPNE Lullier, horticulture school, Geneva. Commission from Antigel Festival 09-10.02.24
2023 A Thousand Eyes– Audiovisual exhibition on the relationship between magic and science at the main Bakery, Byurakan, Armenia.
2023 Fiber Optics – Multichannel installation, transducers on glass. Installed at the Akademie der Kuenste Berlin.
2023 HyperTram– Walking Sonic Fiction, 1h with wireless headphones. Text and music in collaboration with Emmanuelle Destremau. Comission by HyperOuest Festival, Lausanne [CH]. Performed from 27.04 to 7.05.
-> festival page
2023 Je suis un Cerf – Soundwalk, 1h15 with wireless headphones. With text written by Emmanuelle Destremau and performances by Rudi van der Merwe and Tamara Bacci. Comission by Antigel Festival, 08 and 09 February 2023.
-> festival page
2023 XO-K2-315– Release on Al Darrax Records.
-> bandcamp
2022 Tell us where you are listening from
Radiophonic creation, with KMRU (Joseph Kamaru [KE], Zach Hart [US] and Mariana Carvalho [BRE]. Archived on cashmere radio, Berlin and nominated for best short radiophonic creation prize Max15 from German, Austrian and Swiss radio.
-> radio show
-> nomination
2022 Tchan-Zaca
Collective exhibition, Mapping Festival, Geneva
-> event
2021 Hauptbahnhof Heterotopia – audiovisual work. A insight in invisible perceptual layers of Berlin’s trainstation. In collaboration with Dasha Redkina.
-> video
2021 Public windows
Installation in public space using windows as sound diffusors. In collaboration with sound artist Mauro Zannoli [ARG]. Premiered at BAZ’ART festival, Geneva
-> video
2021 How to build a fire
Walking sonic fiction inspired by Jack London’s short story How to build a fire, for headphone and forest. Commission by Antigel Festival, Geneva
-> more info
2020 Capite
Multichannel sound installation, acousmonium composed of various recycled resonating bodies and obselete audio technologies. Collaboration with audiovisual artist Luca Kasper [CH]. Premiered at La Fonte, Geneva
2019 Sayat Nova – Alternative soundtrack for Paradjanov’s The colour of the Pomegranate. For duduk, santoor, sarangi, tambour, cymbals, guitar, voice, and electronics. Commission by Sauce Festival. Premiered at Spoutnik Festival, Geneva
-> more info
2019 AR – Composition for recorder and voice. Premiered at International Contemporary Music Festival Ars electronica Wallis, Schloss Leuk
2019 ARP Monolyth – Composition for two saxophones, bassoon, and electronics. Premiered by Container Ensemble at De Agostini Concert Hall, Geneva
2018 L’aube du soir – Composition for string ensemble: 1 double bass, 2 violoncello, 2 altos, 2 violins, 2 violas. Premiered at Agostini concert Hall by United Strings of Europe
2018 Libra – electroacoustic composition. Premiered at Fonderie Kugler, Geneva. For Archipel Festival
2017 Espaces – Composition for piano, kalimba, chain and electronics. Premiered at Archipel Festival, Geneva
2017 Aurore – Composition for guitar and electronics. Collaboration with Mathilde Court
2016 AM/FM – Composition for double bass, cello, violin, viola, clarinet, trombone and 3 radios. Premiered by Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain at Fonderie Kugler, Geneva. Recorded and broadcasted by Espace 2 radio.
2016 Boite a musique – Composition for acting comedians, deambulatory speech. Premiered at Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, MAMCO, Geneva for Archipel Festival.
2016 Windows on Death Row – Live soundtrack for mutlimedia conference. Commission by Patrick Chappatte and Anne-Frédérique Widmann. Premiered at International Film Festival on Human Rights (FIFDH), Geneva.
2014 Ararat – Composition for recorder. Premiered at Museum of natural History, Geneva
performances
2025 LE COMMUN, SpielAct Festival, Geneva [CH]
2024 Frei Raum, Berlin [DE]
2024 The Øffice, NOPA festival, Yerevan [ARM]
2024 ACUD macht NEU, in the mountains festival, Berlin
2024 DOCK 11, Berlin [DE]
2023 Bongo Joe, Geneva [CH]
2023 Composer’s Union, Yerevan [ARM]
2023 Antigel festival, Geneva [CH]
2023 Rundgang, UdK, Berlin [DE]
2023 48Stunden Neukoeln, Berlin [DE]
2022 Rota festival, Murcia [SP]2022 Mapping festival, Geneva [CH]
2022 Belluard Bollwerk festival, Fribourg [CH]
2022 arkaoda, Berlin [DE]
2022 Centro Negra, Blanca [SP]
2022 Ayrarat, Yereva [ARM]
2021 Spoutnik, Geneva [CH]
2021 Antigel festival, Geneva [CH]
2019 Feu Au Lac, Geneva [CH]
2019 ICRC, Geneva [CH]
grants, residencies & awards
2023 A Thousand Eyes – One month research trip in Byurakan, Armenia. Supported by Pro Helvetia
2022 Tell us where you are listening from – Nomination for best radiophonic creation prize Max15 (ARD, SWR, ORD and SFR prize)
2022 AADK – Residency: space, body, territory. Final exhibition at centro Negra, Blanca[SP] -> website
2022 ROT 54/2.6 – Field research trip in obsolete soviet telescope in Orgov [ARM], funded by Culture Moves Europe (Creative Europe). -> website
2022 YARNS – Residency at l’Atlas, Bruxelles [BE]
education
2020 - 2024 Universität der Künste Berlin, Sound Studies and Sonic Arts, (UdK, Master of Arts)
2017 - 6/2020 University of Geneva, Bachelor in Global History and Sociology, GSI
2014 - 6/2019 Conservatoire Populaire de Musique of Geneva (CPMG), Composition with Arturo Corrales
2012 - 6/2019 Association for the encouragement of improvised music (AMR), Modern Jazz theory and drum
2012 - 6/2017 School of contemporary music (ETM), Geneva, Certificate in computer music
2011 - 6/2019 Conservatoire Populaire de Musique de Genève, Jazz drums, with distinction.