Biography

Finnish-born Alina has been playing the violin since she was five and held her first solo recital at the age of 14. Alina took her bachelor’s degree in Music Education at the North Karelia University of Applied Sciences in Finland under the guidance of Dr Tapani Yrjola. Alina then studied for her Master of Arts at the Royal Academy of Music with Diana Cummings and Erich Gruenberg, graduating in 2011.

Whilst studying, Alina led the symphony orchestras of Joensuu Conservatoire and the North Karelia University for four years and worked as a soloist with the orchestras on numerous occasions.

In the summers of 2006 and 2007, Alina attended the International Music Course in Chautauqua, New York, where her teacher was the former concertmaster of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Jacques Israelievitch. Alina has attended many masterclasses by eminent violinists such as Charles Castleman, Almita Vamos and Rodney Friend.

Alina has played in many chamber music groups, and has worked professionally with the Joensuu City Orchestra in Finland and Ulster Orchestra in Belfast. She has been a member of FeMusa String Orchestra since 2011 and successfully toured in Oman, Azerbaijan and France with the ensemble.

Alina is the current leader of the Collaborative Orchestra in London with recent performances including Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, recorded by the BBC in April 2014. In November 2013, she performed together with the Collaborative Orchestra and internationally acclaimed guitarist Lily Afshar at St John’s Smith Square. Alina is also a founding member of the Collaborative Classic Quartet.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

What do you love about classical music?
The variety of it. There are so many different styles, you can never get bored with classical music. There is something for everyone.

What’s on your playlist right now?
My playlist is very random. At the moment I’m concentrating on Lark Ascending by Vaughan-Williams (with the score in my hand), as I will be playing it with an orchestra

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us.
I used to dance Ballroom and Latin to competition level. I did it for around ten years and I was also teaching it. Sometimes I miss dancing because it combines music and sport and was a very good stress reliever!