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BIOGRAPHY
Latvian violinist Sophia Kirsanova enjoys an international career, having performed across Europe and Australia. Her recital appearances and programming have been praised as “always appealing and intriguing,” (Marshall McGuire, CutCommon) and "demonstrating outstanding technique and musicality" (Latvietis).
Sophia has performed solo with renowned orchestras, including the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Concertante (LV), and Israel Camerata. Sophia is also the founder and Lead Violinist of Melbourne Strings, an all-female string ensemble, that has presented concerts at the Hanson Dyer Hall, is featured in the Brunswick Music Festival ’24 and is a recipient of the City of Melbourne Arts Grant and Rosemary and John Hopkins Award.
Dr. Kirsanova teaches violin at the University of Melbourne, international master classes, and maintains a private violin studio in Melbourne. Throughout her career, Sophia has held professional positions with esteemed chamber orchestras, Sinfonietta Riga (2005/6) and Israel Camerata (2009-18) as well as has been a guest player with Nordic Symphony, Israel Philharmonic and Orchestra Victoria.
An avid advocate for expanding the traditional violin repertoire, Sophia commissions new works (Ešenvalds, Leimane, Rosalind Page) and actively promotes Latvian composers. In 2022 Sophia completed a PhD (UoM), focusing her research on the post-Soviet Latvian classical music and anticipates a solo debut album release in 2024 featuring Latvian classical music with the record label SKANI.
Allie Xinyu Wang - Piano
Having received critical acclaim for her evocative interpretations and exceptional finesse at the piano, Xinyu’s artistic footprint extends across the USA, China, and the Asia-Pacific. As a soloist, Xinyu has captivated audiences with her piano prowess alongside orchestras such as the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Geoffrey Simon.
Xinyu has performed in various eminent venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln
Center’s Merkin Hall, the Tenri Cultural Institute in New York, and The Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. Xinyu is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance under the tutelage of Dr. Marc Silverman at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.
Even amidst her teaching commitments, Xinyu continues to grace audiences worldwide with her captivating chamber music collaborations and solo performances. In Australia, she has appeared with Southern Cross Soloists and the Ensemble Trivium.
Lili Boulanger "Cortège"
L.Boulanger "Nocturne"
L. Boulanger "D’un Matin du Printemps"
César Franck Violin Sonata in A Major
Platon Buravicky “Angel’s Sight”
Grażyna Bacewicz Oberek no.1
“SPIRITED”
This delightful program showcases spirited chamber music masterpieces for violin and piano from the Romantic period and beyond. It features three short pieces for violin and piano by Lili Boulanger, the younger sister of Nadia, who was the first female winner of the Prix de Rome. One of her most celebrated works, 'D'un Matin du Printemps,' originally written for violin and piano, has been arranged for many other instruments, including a popular orchestral version. The program's centrepiece is one of the most popular works in the violin repertoire and the most celebrated piece by the French composer César Franck – his Violin Sonata in A Major.
Latvian Platon Buravicky's rarely heard, celestial and deeply moving “Angel's Sight” is a composition dedicated to his wife and was comissioned in 2016 by the Pēteris Vasks foundation.
Grazina Bacewicz, a Polish violin virtuoso and composer, has left a broad repertoire for string instruments, including seven violin concertos. Her virtuosic and playful polish dance, 'Oberek' concludes the program with a light and humorous mood.
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