BIOGRAPHY
IRINA SOPOVA
[musician & performer]
The vivid, original style of playing, and perfect clarity of the interpretations and virtuosistic technique distinguishes this artist regardless of her role - soloist or ensemblist. Every performance with viola d'amore in her hands is especially memorable. Her natural stage presence together with the deepest immersion into the senses she works with transforms every performance into a real act of creativity. The range of interests of this artist is extraordinarily wide, from early music to avant-garde through folk and chanson: “MusicAeterna Orchestra”, “Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble", “Opus Posth”(Tatiana Grindenko, contemporary and baroque), “Pocket Symphony”(Nazar Kozhukhar, contemporary and baroque), “Persimfans”(Pyotr Aidu & Grigory Krotenko, the orchestra without conductor), “Glasach”(Kirill Raskolenko, Irish folk), “Lady Hit”(Natalia Vershinina, cross-over) — this is a short list of the ensembles she used to play with. In collaboration with well-known choreographers of our time (such as Alexander Mogilev and Vladimir Varnava) several performances were created, blending live music-making and contemporary dance. Together with Serge Poltavsky she is a co-founder of “Viola is my life”, an international festival of contemporary music for viola in Moscow.
Irina was born 30/11/1986 in Komsomolsk-on-Amure, Russia.
At the age of 4, led carefully by her mother, Olga Sopova, she began to study music. In 2001 she continued her education in Novosibirsk Special Musical School (Russia) in the viola class of prof. Yuri Mazchenko. In 2011 Irina graduated with honors from Moscow State Conservatory (viola class of prof. Roman Balashov), and after post-graduated under the direction of a viola celebrity, Prof. Yuri Bashmet. Since 2014 Ms.Sopova has been viola tutor in Moscow Conservatory, also leading the special “Course of the orchestral excerpts” to prepare students for the auditions. She is the author of a number of published articles on the history of performing. The last one, based on the life of Vadim Borisovsky, the pioneer of the Soviet viola school, is about to be published (Arias Edition, Moscow).
Irina Sopova is the laureate of numerous international competitions, the recipient of different grants and awards; among them are grants from the Rotary Club Foundation (2010, Chigiana Music Academy, Siena) and Russian Performing Art fund. Her debut on the stage of the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory was in 2007. In 2011 on that stage she took part in “Stradivarius Dialogue” performing “Sinfonia Concertante” by W.A. Mozart, holding the famous Antonius Stradivarius Anno 1715 in her hands. She receives standing ovations all around the world: Japan, Ecuador, Colombia, USA, Myanmar, South Korea, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Israel and Russia (from Karelia to Vladivostok). The latest CD-release “Reflections” (chamber works by M. Weinberg and S. Prokofiev) was awarded the “The Pure Sound” prize in 2021; the same year was also marked by her debut on the stage of Paris Philharmony.
At the age of 4, led carefully by her mother, Olga Sopova, she began to study music. In 2001 she continued her education in Novosibirsk Special Musical School (Russia) in the viola class of prof. Yuri Mazchenko. In 2011 Irina graduated with honors from Moscow State Conservatory (viola class of prof. Roman Balashov), and after post-graduated under the direction of a viola celebrity, Prof. Yuri Bashmet. Since 2014 Ms.Sopova has been viola tutor in Moscow Conservatory, also leading the special “Course of the orchestral excerpts” to prepare students for the auditions. She is the author of a number of published articles on the history of performing. The last one, based on the life of Vadim Borisovsky, the pioneer of the Soviet viola school, is about to be published (Arias Edition, Moscow).
Irina Sopova is the laureate of numerous international competitions, the recipient of different grants and awards; among them are grants from the Rotary Club Foundation (2010, Chigiana Music Academy, Siena) and Russian Performing Art fund. Her debut on the stage of the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory was in 2007. In 2011 on that stage she took part in “Stradivarius Dialogue” performing “Sinfonia Concertante” by W.A. Mozart, holding the famous Antonius Stradivarius Anno 1715 in her hands. She receives standing ovations all around the world: Japan, Ecuador, Colombia, USA, Myanmar, South Korea, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Israel and Russia (from Karelia to Vladivostok). The latest CD-release “Reflections” (chamber works by M. Weinberg and S. Prokofiev) was awarded the “The Pure Sound” prize in 2021; the same year was also marked by her debut on the stage of Paris Philharmony.
In January 2010 Irina became the Laureate of the Second Prize, and the Special Prize named Oleg Kagan in the 6th International Viola Competition of Yury Bashmet in Moscow.
She plays an instrument made by Jon van Kouwenhoven, given to her as a present by the luthier himself, after being impressed by her playing.
In 2007-2011 Irina was the Viola Principal and the soloist of the «Moskovia» Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Grach. In 2011-2017 she was the Second Principal Viola and the soloist of the Russian National Orchestra, conducted by Mikhail Pletnev. From 2015 she is the Soloist of the famous MusicAeterna orchestra, led by Teodor Currentzis.
Irina’s appearances on the stage as a soloist have been accompanied by a number of prestigious orchestras, such as «New Russia» State Symphony Orchestra and «The Moscow Soloists» Chamber Orchestra (art-director – Yury Bashmet), Moscow Chamber Orchestra «Musica Viva» (art-director – Aleksander Rudin), Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (art-director – Yuri Simonov) and the others.
Among her partners on the stage are to be named Yury Bashmet, Mikhail Muntyan, Andrej Yaroshinsky, Alexander Shaikin, Zlata Chochieva, Maria Tretyakova, Tatyana Grindenko, Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, Aylen Pritchin, Nazar Kozhukhar, Alexander Rudin.
She plays an instrument made by Jon van Kouwenhoven, given to her as a present by the luthier himself, after being impressed by her playing.
In 2007-2011 Irina was the Viola Principal and the soloist of the «Moskovia» Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Grach. In 2011-2017 she was the Second Principal Viola and the soloist of the Russian National Orchestra, conducted by Mikhail Pletnev. From 2015 she is the Soloist of the famous MusicAeterna orchestra, led by Teodor Currentzis.
Irina’s appearances on the stage as a soloist have been accompanied by a number of prestigious orchestras, such as «New Russia» State Symphony Orchestra and «The Moscow Soloists» Chamber Orchestra (art-director – Yury Bashmet), Moscow Chamber Orchestra «Musica Viva» (art-director – Aleksander Rudin), Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (art-director – Yuri Simonov) and the others.
Among her partners on the stage are to be named Yury Bashmet, Mikhail Muntyan, Andrej Yaroshinsky, Alexander Shaikin, Zlata Chochieva, Maria Tretyakova, Tatyana Grindenko, Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, Aylen Pritchin, Nazar Kozhukhar, Alexander Rudin.
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