Pianist
MAYA IRGALINA
"One of the best pianists we have had at the Halls" . . ."absolutely stunning. What an amazing talent she has."
from the Blackheath Halls recital series audience
"...I had an absolutely magical and uplifting time at the concert which far surpassed my initial expectations...Maya Irgalina was electric, fusing her pieces with a dark, emotive energy that could be felt with every key that was struck..." Jennifer Katz, Concordia Foundation Newsletter
" A gentle Rachmaninov encore concluded an extremely pleasing recital by a most talented and engaging soloist." from here
"I was deeply impressed by her exceptional musicianship and her top pianistic abilities. Additionally she has a musical personality which is highly convincing."
Cyprien KATSARIS
"I believe that Maya Irgalina is an outstanding pianistic talent. She has a commanding technique that she harnesses very successfully to a strong musical instinct."
Julius DRAKE
About
A MUSICAL JOURNEY
Belarusian Maya Irgalina a versatile pianist successfully combining solo and collaborative piano playing. Over the last ten years she performed internationally throughout UK, Italy, France, Austria, China, Poland, Georgia, Russia and Belarus with highlights including performances at Wigmore Hall and Barbican.
Biography
Belarusian Maya Irgalina is a versatile pianist, who successfully combines solo and collaborative piano playing. Over the last ten years she has performed internationally throughout the UK, Italy, Malta, France, Austria, China, Poland, Georgia, Russia and Belarus, highlights including performances at Wigmore Hall and the Barbican.
In the 2017/2018 season, Maya was a Britten Pears Young Artist; she was invited by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan to play Chopin’s First Piano Concerto in Kazan; she performed in the Malta International Arts Festival and the Accademia Filarmonica Romana with soprano Nicola Said; performed solo in the Zürichi Piano Express Festival, the Machynlleth Festival, and represented Yamaha as concert artist at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
Her past engagements include playing Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto at the Batumi Music Festival, Georgia, and performing an all Chopin programme at the Rye Arts Festival, UK. A particularly important event was her appearance in the BBC Orchestra’s “Semyon Bychkov’s Beloved Friend Tchaikovsky Project”, for which she played both as soloist and chamber musician.
As a soloist she has played with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the Belarusian Opera House Orchestra, the RNCM Symphony Orchestra, the Batumi Symphony Orchestra including many other chamber orchestras.
Forthcoming engagements include the Lieder of Hugo Wolf at the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme, Chopin’s First Piano Concerto with the Scarborough Symphony Orchestra, the Zarzuela Project at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and performances of Schubert’s Winterreise with the mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron.
Maya has won many prizes in piano competitions, including Dudley, Sydney, Maria Yudina, Scriabin etc. She is the winner of the RNCM’s highest accolade for solo performance – the Gold Medal - and had her Wigmore Hall debut in February 2013 as prize-winner of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Her playing was broadcast by ABC (Australia), BBC Radio 3 and Belarusian Radio. In 2015 Belarusian TV made a film about her.
Maya Irgalina’s first steps onto the concert platform were made under the tutelage of Lilia Ter-Minasian at the Belarusian Academy of Music where she was an undergraduate. She then completed the International Artist Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music, studying with Graham Scott. In 2017 she graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied with Julius Drake and Ronan O’Hora.
For her studies Maya has won numerous scholarships including Leverhulme Trust, Yamaha Foundation, BelSwissBank. She was also the recipient of the “Gaude Polonia” award from the Polish Ministry of Culture.
