Christmas ball with Eduard Grach
and the Chamber orchestra "Moskovia"

Eduard Gratch is one of the most renowned violinists in Russia, and holds a number of distinguished titles, including People’s Artist of Russia and Best Teacher of Russia (two times). He was born in Odessa, Ukraine in 1930, and began playing the violin at an early age. His first teacher was Pyotr Stolyarski, whose music school in Odessa fostered a number of other renowned musicians, including violinist David Oistrakh and pianist Emil Gilels. In 1943, Mr. Grach was invited to enter the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with Abram Yampolsky (the so-called founder of the Soviet School of Violinists.) While many of his contemporaries chose to emigrate, Mr. Gratch stayed in Russia, later taking a professorship at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.

Early in his career, Mr. Gratch won first prize at several international competitions—in Budapest (1949), Paris (the Marguerite Long and Jaques Thibaud International Violin Competition, 1955) and Moscow (the Tchaikovsky competition, 1962)—thereby launching an active performing and recording career that continues to this day. He is often praised for his romantic, emotional playing style, and brilliant technique. His career as a professor has been no less successful, having taught over twenty-five violinists who have gone on to win prizes at various national and international competitions.

Mr. Gratch began conducting in 1979, and in 1990 formed the Moscoviya Chamber Orchestra, which debuted at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory to great critical success. The ensemble’s repertoire ranges widely, from Baroque to Contemporary. As heard here, they even tackle difficult works such as Paganini’s “Moto perpetuo”, generally considered beyond the ability of an orchestra to play well. They have participated in numerous music festivals in Russia and abroad, and have toured in Russia, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, France, and in 2001 China.

Elena Tarosyan was born in 1993 in Omsk into a musical family. She began studying violin at the age of five. She studied at the Novosibirsk Specialized Music School, then at the Moscow State Conservatory where she studied under Professor Eduard Grach. After her graduation Ms. Tarosyan took up the position of Assistant Professor at the Conservatory. In June 2018, she won the 1st All-Russian Competition for Symphony Orchestra Artists and took up the position of the first concertmaster of the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra (RNYSO).

Ms. Tarosyan has won an impressive number of national and international violin competitions including Kloster-Schöntale Competition (Germany), Baltic Constellation in St. Petersburg, Art and Education of the XXI Century, Violin of the North in Yakutsk (Grand Prix), International Competition for Young Performers (Greece, Grand Prix) and Youth Delphic games of Russia in Tver (Gold Medal), Astana International Violin Competition (Gran Prix) and Rudof Gummert I International Competition (Gran Prix).

Also she is the prize winner of XVII Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow (III prize), J. Szigeti International Competition in Budapest (IV prize), M. Lavrinovich Competition in Poland (II prize), A. Yampolsky Competition (II prize), D. Oistrakh Competition in Moscow, E. Mravinsky Competition in St. Petersburg (II prize), in Vladivostok International Competition (II prize) and Eduard Grach International Violin Competition.

Elena Tarosyan is a six-time participant in the Keshet Eilon International Master Courses in Israel. She took part in master classes of such outstanding musicians as Boris Kuschnir, Zakhar Bron, Chaim Taub, Rosa Fine, Vadim Gluzman, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Ani Shnarkh, Anton Barakhovsky.

Elena Tarosyan takes an active part in the Moscow State Philharmonic Society concert programs, regularly performing at the Moscow Conservatory Great Hall and Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. She has performed under the batons of such eminent conductors as Valery Gergiev, Alexander Lazarev, Vladimir Fedoseev, Mikhail Jurowski, Alexander Sladkovsky, Thomas Sanderling, Yuri Simonov, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Yulian Rakhlin, Marius Stravinsky, Valentin Uryupin, Dimitris Botinis, Alexey Rubin, Denis Vlasenko, Igor Manasherov.

Elena also regularly performs with the Moskovia Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Eduard Grach and plays solo programs in the Moscow Philharmonic Chamber Hall and The Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. She is a participant in the Young Talents Program of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, as well as an artist of the St. Petersburg Music House. As a soloist, Ms. Tarosyan is touring actively in Russia, Europe and Japan. 

Vasily Stepanov was born in 1994 in Kazan. In 2018 graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (class of Natalia Shakhovskaya and Boris Andrianov). From 2018 to 2020 he trained at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid (class of Jens Peter Maintz). He currently teaches at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music. 

Prize-winner at the Valery Gavrilin Governor’s International Youth Competition (Vologda, 2010; 1st prize), the Sviatoslav Knushevitsky International Cello Competition (Saratov, 2012; 2nd prize), the International Competition Constellation of Talents (Cheboksary, 2012; Grand Prix), the Mravinsky International Competition for Youth (St Petersburg, 2012; 1st prize), the Riga Classic Strings international competition (2018; 1st prize) and the All-Russian Music Competition (Moscow, 2018; 2nd prize).

Grant-recipient of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan. Has taken part in masterclasses conducted by Sergei Roldugin, David Geringas, Jens Peter Maintz, Martti Rousi, Niels Ulner and Torleif Thedéen in addition to attending the Carl Nielsen Masterclass (Assens, Denmark). Appears in Russia and internationally, including at the Lincoln Center in New York. Participates in the Music Festival Eliso Virsaladze Presents… Collaborates with such conductors as Alexander Sladkovsky, Christian Knapp, Eduard Grach, Maxim Fedotov, Teodor Currentzis, Michalis Economou, Julian Gallant, Rustem Abyazov and Alexei Vorontsov.