Alexandra Knight
Artist Manager
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Johan Pieters
Artist Services Manager
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Alena Baeva
Highlights
Ensemble Resonanz
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Gävle Symfoniorkester
Göteborgs Symfoniker
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
London Philharmonic Orchestra
New York Philharmonic Orchestra
NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
Orchestra of the 18th Century
Orchestra Sinfónica Nazionale della RAI
Orchestre National de Lyon
Orchestre National du Capitôle de Toulouse
Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTVE
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Biography
Described as “a magnetic presence” and “a constantly fascinating sound technician” (New York Classical Review), violinist Alena Baeva is considered one of the most exciting, versatile, and alluring soloists active on the world stage today.
Baeva’s career as an international soloist of the highest renown has grown at an extraordinary pace over recent seasons. European highlights include appearances with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Göteborgs Symfoniker, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National d’Île de France, Orchestre National du Capitôle de Toulouse, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and in recital at the Wigmore Hall. In Asia, recent and upcoming performances include those with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, amongst others. She makes her North American debut in the main subscription series of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in the 2023/2024 concert season.Read More
Baeva enjoys strong musical partnerships with many of the world’s leading conductors, and has the pleasure of working with such renowned maestros as Teodor Currentzis, Charles Dutoit, Gustavo Gimeno, Marek Janowski, Paavo Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Tomáš Netopil, and Hugh Wolff. Chamber music holds a particularly special place in her musical life, where she enjoys collaborations with such esteemed artists as Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Daishin Kashimoto, Misha Maisky, Lawrence Power, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Tabea Zimmermann, and the Belcea Quartet. Her regular sonata partner is the celebrated Ukrainian pianist Vadym Kholodenko (2013 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist), with whom she has established a dedicated musical partnership of more than a decade.
Possessing an extraordinary memory and passionate musical curiosity, Baeva holds an already vast and rapidly expanding active repertoire, including over fifty violin concerti. She is a champion of lesser-known works alongside the more mainstream violin literature, with recent performances promoting such composers as Bacewicz, Karaev, Karłowicz, and Silvestrov. She enjoys a long-standing and rewarding relationship with the Orchestra of the XVIII Century, performing and recording a variety of repertoire on period instruments. Their 2022 recording (Wieniawski Violin Concerto No.2) was crowned ‘Recording of the Month’ by BBC Music Magazine, who declared it to be “essential listening”.
Baeva’s wider discography is extensive, and reflects the impressive breadth of her repertoire. Recordings include Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.2 (part of the Mariinsky Theatre/Valery Gergiev box-set DVD collection, released by Arthaus Musik in 2015); the Karłowicz Violin Concerto (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 2018); and the Schumann Violin Concerto and original (1844) version of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (for Melodiya Records, 2020).
Since 2023, Baeva records exclusively for leading label Alpha Classics. The first project of her multi-disc deal with the label is released in February 2024.
Alena Baeva took her first violin lessons at the age of five under renowned pedagogue Olga Danilova, before moving to Moscow, Russia, at the age of 10 to study with Professor Eduard Grach at the Central School of Music and the State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire. In addition to her formal education, she took lessons with Mstislav Rostropovich and Boris Garlitsky, in Switzerland with Seiji Ozawa, and in Israel with Shlomo Mintz (at Keshet Eilon Music Center).
At only 16 years of age, Baeva won the Grand Prix at the 12th International Henryk Wieniawski Competition (2001), as well as the Prize for Best Performance of a Contemporary Work. Following this, she went on to take the Grand Prix at the Moscow International Niccolò Paganini Competition (2004), including a Special Prize allowing her to perform on the 1723 Wieniawski Stradivari for one year, and was awarded both the Gold Medal and the Audience Prize at the Sendai International Violin Competition (2007).
Since 2010, Alena Baeva resides in Luxembourg with her husband and three children, and plays on the “ex-William Kroll” Guarneri del Gesù of 1738 – on generous loan from an anonymous patron, with the kind assistance of J&A Beares.
News
Alena Baeva: Bergische Symphoniker
On 29 & 30 August 2023, Alena Baeva performs Prokofiev’s First Violin Concerto with the...
Alena Baeva: Stresa, Italy
On 26 August 2023, Alena Baeva makes her debut at the Stresa International Music Festival,...
Alena Baeva & Vadym Kholodenko: Yorkshire, UK
Alena Baeva and Vadym Kholodenko perform a variety of concerts at the North York Moors Chamber...
Reviews
“You cannot fault Alena Baeva in her formidable interpretation of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No.2: dazzling technique, and appropriate colours for the composer, whose sound world demands a certain roughness in some passages and cadences.”
“There are soloists who distance themselves from this somber work, but Alena Baeva’s attitude towards Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No.2 was so vital, dedicated, and warm that it maintained all its purity and all its expressiveness.”
“The opportunity to listen to a work such as Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No.2 is always an important occasion and, from the first moment, it was clear that Alena Baeva was without question the correct choice of soloist. She has a powerful sound and a suitably dark tonality, and demonstrated a warm phrasing that gave superb results as a whole.”
“Special mention should be made of the great violinist Alena Baeva, who was faced with a work in which technical mastery must be combined with character and sensitivity. Baeva brought dazzling sparks to this individual work, imbuing every note with clarity and individual meaning.”
“The concert featured top-class violin playing by Alena Baeva, who performed skilfully and atmospherically as the soloist of Bartók’s First Violin Concerto.”
“In the hands of an artist like Baeva, apparently anything sounds interesting. Her playing is mesmerizing…”
“Baeva charms – sensual and lyrical…. Her technique and tone polish every note and send it out to the audience like a lustrous gem. She possesses awe-inspiring technique, and a tone that is soaring and entrancing.”
“Thoroughly captivating … a showcase of commanding technique, brilliant clarity, and jam-packed with heart and soul”
“A miracle – music-making as an expression of sheer love”
“Alena Baeva is a violinist of proven musicality and impeccable intonation…. In the cadenza [of the Britten Violin Concerto], she created one of the most attractive moments in concert history. In a work full of connections, Baeva gave an entire articulatory lesson: you could not help but get carried away…”
“Besides her striking stage presence, Baeva makes more sense of this thorny score than anyone else I can recall… approachable emotionally despite the starkness typical of late Shostakovich.”
“Alena Baeva, was an expressive, sparkling counterpoint…very fine interplay, with close and responsive cooperation. I have never heard this violin concerto played with such fine nuances.”
“Baeva’s interpretation [of the Beethoven Concerto] gave it a new, enchanting glow.”
Discography

Mendelssohn, Schumann: Violin Concertos
Released June 2020 via Melodiya Records.
Alena Baeva, Persimfans Orchestra

Karłowicz: Symfonia "Odrodzenie", Violin Concerto
Conductor: Grzegorz Nowak
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Shostakovich: Complete Symphonies & Concertos
Conductor: Valery Gergiev
Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre
Alena Baeva plays Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 2

Baczewicz - Szostakowicz
D. Shostakovich: Violin concerto No.1 Op.77
Alena Baeva, violin
Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra
Massimiliano Caldi, conductor
Live recording of the opening concert of the Symphonic Season 2016/17 at the Olowianka Hall of the Gdansk/Danzig Concert Hall
November 2017
PFB Live

Schubert
Schubert: Streichquartett Nr. 14 d-moll, Erlkönig & Sonate a-Moll für Arpeggione und Klavier, D. 821
Soloist: Yuri Bashmet
Alena Baeva participated in the Erlkönig recording

Poulenc, Debussy and Prokofiev Sonatas
Top of the 3rd Sendai International Music Competition
Poulenc: Sonata for Violin and Piano
Debussy: Sonata for Violin and Piano
Prokofiev: Sonata for Violin and Piano, No 1 in F minor, Op 80

Szymanowski Violin Concertos
Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)
Violin Concerto No. 1 Op. 35 (1916)
Violin Concerto No. 2 Op. 61 (1933)

Bartok and Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos
1-3 Bartok Violin Concerto No.2, Sz112
4-6 Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, op.35
Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by YAMASHITA Kazufumi (1-3)
Conducted by Pascal VERROT (4-6)

Alena Baeva
Recorded at the studio VGTRK “Culture” (June 2005)