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Elena I. Zabavskaya

Associate Professor of Guitar, Domra and Balalaika Department

Забавская Елена Ивановна

Biography

She was born in the city of Lysva, Perm Region, in 1980. She received her initial musical education at the Lysva Children’s Music School (domra class of V. V. Zyryanov and I. P. Tykvach).

In 1999 she graduated from the Specialised Secondary Music School‑Lyceum at the Ural State Conservatory named after M. P. Mussorgsky, in the class of I. V. Gareeva and N. V. Seledkova; in 2004 she graduated from the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music in the class of Professor N. I. Lips, and in 2006 she completed an assistant traineeship there under Professor N. I. Lips.

In 2007 she received a «Support for Talented Youth» award established by Decree of the President of Russia and took part in a youth project of the Moscow Philharmonic Society.

Competition prizes:

  • laureate of First Prize at the International Competition «Classical Heritage» (Moscow, 2002);
  • laureate of Third Prize at the All‑Russian Competition «Prikamye» (Perm, 2002);
  • laureate of Second Prize at the International Competition «Cup of the North — V» (2004, domra);
  • laureate of First Prize at the International Competition «Cup of the North — VI» (2006, mandolin; Cherepovets).

Since 2010 she has taught in the Department of String Folk Instruments at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music.

From 2004 to 2006 she worked in the Academic Russian Folk Orchestra of the All‑Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company named after N. Nekrasov.

She has appeared as a soloist with the following ensembles:

  • the L. Zykina State Academic Russian Folk Ensemble «Rossiya» (conductor A. Sobolev);
  • the «Vremena Goda» Chamber Orchestra (artistic director V. Bulakhov);
  • the Moscow Youth Chamber Orchestra (artistic director V. Vorona);
  • the Telemann‑Consort Baroque Ensemble;
  • the Ars Ego Early Music Ensemble;
  • the «Madrigal» Early Music Ensemble (artistic director A. Suetin);
  • the Opera Studio Orchestra of the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory;
  • the Cinematography Orchestra (artistic director S. Skripka);
  • the Russian National Orchestra (artistic director M. Pletnev) in a concert performance of Stravinsky’s opera «The Nightingale»;
  • the Moscow State Academic Symphony Orchestra (artistic director P. Kogan) in Ottorino Respighi’s suite «Roman Festivals».

Since 2011 she has been leader of the youth project «Fest‑Orchestra» and one of the organisers of the open‑air festival and children’s masterclasses «Fest‑Derevnya» held in the Smolensk Region.

She has appeared as a soloist at various concert venues, including:

  • the Moscow International House of Music;
  • the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall;
  • the Chamber Hall of the Moscow Philharmonic Society;
  • the Concert Hall of the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra;
  • the Glinka Museum of Musical Culture;
  • the Patriarch’s Palace in the Kremlin;
  • the Armoury Chamber of the Kremlin;
  • the Grand Concert Hall of the Presidential Administration;
  • the Moscow City Hall;
  • the Small and Great Halls of the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.

She is a regular participant in international festivals in Moscow, including «Constellation of Masters» (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2015), «Moscow Autumn» (2007), «Rendezvous with...» (2008, 2009, 2013, 2015), and «Window to Switzerland» (2012, 2013).

At the «Vozvrashchenie» festival (Moscow, 2014) she performed the mandolin part in Arnold Schoenberg’s serenade «Serenade for Baritone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Guitar, Mandolin, Violin, Viola, and Cello» together with A. Buzlov, B. Brovtsyn, M. Beznosov, N. Inkyzhinov, A. Doynikov, D. Illarionov, A. Usov, and N. Basov.

She performs in a duo with Roman Zorkin (guitar) and Semyon Shmelkov (bayan).

She has taken part in masterclasses with mandolin Professor Marga Wilden‑Hüsgen (Germany) and at the Summer Mandolin and Guitar School in Liebach (Austria) with Professor Juan Carlos Muñoz and Natalia Marashova (2013, 2014).

She has given the premieres of a number of works, including:

  • D. Zabavsky «Kabora» for solo mandolin (2006);
  • «The Wanderer» for balalaika and domra (2006);
  • M. Bronner «To the Other Side» for mandolin and piano (2007);
  • E. Podgaits «The Longing Angel» for solo domra (2008);
  • M. Bronner «Reminiscence» on themes from Tchaikovsky’s «Children’s Album» (2008);
  • «Jacob’s Ladder: Angel of Love and Angel of Sorrow» for domra and guitar (2009);
  • Concerto for Domra and Chamber Orchestra «Transformation of the Soul» (2009);
  • «Izkor» for solo domra (2011);
  • A. Myasin, duet for two mandolins (2015).

She has published the article «The Method of Contrasts as a Means of Deepening the Performer’s Engagement with the Musical Image, or Important Stages in the Development of the Artistic Thinking of a Domra Player at the Initial Stage of Training».

She has also released the CD «To the Other Side» (2006).