Lunchtime Recital - Elfida Su Turan, violin; Ekaterina Grabova, piano

Programme
TBC

Biographies

Described as a violinist of exceptional artistry, Turkish violinist Elfida Su Turan is a winner of the International Haslemere Strings Competition, known for her technical precision and emotional depth. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music as 25/26 London Symphony Orchestra Conservatoire Scholar studying under the guidance of So-Ock Kim. Her recent prizes include the RAM Concerto Competition, the Ilona Fehér Competition in Budapest, and 1st prize at the HISC. She has received the ‘Future’s Women Stars’ Prize from the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and was awarded 2025-2026 LSO Conservatoire Scholarship.

Since the age of 10, Elfida has worked with Turkey’s national and state symphony orchestras, and in recent years, collaborated with ensembles such as the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, the Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra, the 12 Ensemble, and the Docklands Sinfonia, performing at venues like the O2 Guildhall and with the London Mozart Players.

Elfida has participated in prestigious festivals such as the Gstaad Menuhin Festival and the Jeju Festival in South Korea, as well as the Aspen Music Festival, where she was selected as the student concertmaster of the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra, leading Scheherazade and working with Robert Spano. She has also performed at esteemed venues including Wigmore Hall, Menuhin Hall, Leighton House Museum, the Zorlu PSM Turkcell Stage, and many others.

As a member of Trio Hera, formed in Turkey in 2021, Elfida has actively contributed to the ensemble’s performances, including their most recent concert sponsored by Allianz for the 10th AIMA Music Festival.

Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to collaborate and learn from some of the most respected violinists and professors, including Maxim Vengerov, Dora Schwarzberg, Vilde Frang, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Rodney Friend, Hagai Shaham, Gil Shaham, and Alina Ibragimova.

Elfida began her studies in the UK in 2016 with a full scholarship at the Yehudi Menuhin School. Recently, she achieved the highest mark in her graduation exam at the Royal Academy of Music, earning both the Clarence Myerscough Award and the Homi Kanga Prize. She is generously supported by the Albert Cooper Trust and the Talent Unlimited charity.

Ekaterina Grabova is a young pianist based in London, currently studying under Professor Mei-Ting Sun at the Royal Academy of Music, where she is pursuing her master's degree. In recognition of her achievements, Ekaterina has been awarded the Michael Gilsenan Named Scholarship. She was born in Moscow, Russia, and began her musical education at the age of six. Ekaterina graduated from the Gnessin School of Music, where she studied with Professor Tatiana Zelikman and the renowned pianist Boris Berezovsky.

As an active pianist and chamber musician, she frequently collaborates in many music festivals, including the Rheingau Music Festival in Germany, the Gijon International Piano Festival in Spain, the Tel-Hai Piano Masterclasses in Israel, "Bezszady bez granic" in Poland, and the Bowdoin Music Festival in the United States. She has also performed at various festivals and concert series at the Royal Academy of Music, such as the Summer Piano Festival. Ekaterina is a winner of numerous competitions, including "Mlody Virtuos" in Poland, "Sforzando" and the Rubinstein International Music Competition in Germany, and the "Steps to Mastery," Neuhaus Music Festival, and Nutcracker TV Competition for Young Musicians in Russia. In 2019-2020, she was awarded the First Prize Grant from the Mayor of Moscow.

Throughout her participation in different festivals and masterclasses, Ekaterina has worked with esteemed musicians such as Dmitri Bashkirov, Robert McDonald, Andrzej Jasiński, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Christopher Elton, Vanessa Latarche, Mikhail Voskressensky, Vladimir Tropp, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Victor Derevianko, Soyeon Kate Lee, and Ran Dank.

Her recent recital appearances include performances at the Purcell Room at Southbank Centre, St James's Church Piccadilly, and Southwark Cathedral in London; the Shanghai Concert Hall and Wuxi Theatre in China; the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Russia; the Lielais Dzintars Concert Hall in Latvia; Mozarthaus Vienna in Austria; and various venues across the United Kingdom, USA, Israel, Spain, Germany, and Poland.

Most recently, in March 2024, Katya was awarded First Prize at the Coulsdon and Purley Festival Concerto Competition and was invited to perform Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dominic Grier, during the 2024-2025 concert season. Katya is incredibly grateful to be a part of Talent Unlimited.

Presented in association with Talent Unlimited.