I come from a musical family and my parents are professional instrumentalists - my dad is a violinist and my mum is a pianist. When I was little and watched my dad practicing, I would play an imaginary violin with a ruler and a tiny pencil trying to copy his moves. However my big love and passion for violin came when I met my friends at the Tchaikovsky Music College and we started playing together in ensembles, improvising and playing concerts. It always felt so good and exciting to create music together!
I come from a musical family and my parents are professional instrumentalists - my dad is a violinist and my mum is a pianist. When I was little and watched my dad practicing, I would play an imaginary violin with a ruler and a tiny pencil trying to copy his moves. However my big love and passion for violin came when I met my friends at the Tchaikovsky Music College and we started playing together in ensembles, improvising and playing concerts. It always felt so good and exciting to create music together!
While studying at the Gnessin Academy in Moscow, I went to many musical festivals in Europe including Germany, Italy and Slovenia. That was when I first became an orchestra leader, so that time is very precious to me and full of the brightest memories of my career.
I first came to London to play the International British Crossroads competition for which I got first prize. I was totally in love with the city and started dreaming and visualising living here. Then I came to the annual Marylebone festival and afterwards applied for all the music universities in London.
I got a place at Trinity Conservatoire and I was so grateful to receive a full scholarship from them to support my studies. I started studying with John Crawford and that was one of the best periods of my life as he changed my perspective on how to play the instrument. In addition to the violin he taught me the Alexander technique. The Alexander technique is a method which helps a person to discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension. At John’s class, I first felt freedom playing the violin as he helped me to realise that playing the violin can be as natural as breathing.
After graduating from Trinity I started freelancing, teaching and performing around the UK. I mostly play in chamber ensembles. I’ve performed with my string quartet at the British Museum, National Gallery, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, and Kensington Palace, among other great venues. I’ve also recently performed on cruises in the Caribbean and around Japan as part of Elektra Violin Duo.
EDUCATION
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
London, UK
Gnessin Russian Academy of Music
Moscow, Russia
Tchaikovsky Academic Music College
Moscow, Russia
QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS
Where’s your favourite place to listen to music and why?
I would say that I can listen to music anywhere, on the tube, while cooking dinner, walking in nature, just sitting on the sofa in the evening. But the best place for listening to music for me is definitely the concert hall. There you can fully dive into the music piece and nothing can distract you. You become fully absorbed by the sounds and images in your head, which is an amazing and unique journey that can be experienced only in isolated places like concert halls. Music is never only background to me.
What do you do with your time when you’re not playing music?
If I’m not playing music, you will more likely find me running or meditating. I do lots of training for races and love doing yoga. Just recently I did a few half-marathons and I’m now training for a marathon next year. I also love learning about geography and reading mindfulness books.
OTHER PROJECTS
Elektra Violin Duo
Halo Strings UK
