Violeta Barrena

Violeta Barrena was born in Barcelona to a Spanish father and Swiss mother. She started taking violin lessons at the age of four. Already at the age of eight she was accepted into professor Xavier Turull’s class and later at the age of twelve she pursued her studies with Chris Nicholls (Ruggiero Ricci’s assistant). In 2001 she performed Vivaldi’s “ L’inverno” as a soloist with the “Orchestre de chambre musijeunes” . One year later she also performed in Bach’s double concerto.

In 2005 she started her studies at The Royal Academy of Music with Professor Howard Davis and then pursued them with Professor Tomotada Soh. In 2007 she won the Winifred Small Solo Violin Competition for solo Bach and Paganini and in 2008 she was a finalist in the “National Pablo de Sarasate Violin Competition”. 

She graduated this summer from the Royal Academy with First Class Honours. 

Currently she is doing a masters degree at the Royal College of Music after having been accepted into Professor Itzhak Rashkowski’s class. In March this year she was invited to play the Mozart Concerto in G Major with the OPUS Orchester Bern in Switzerland. 

Violeta is also actively involved in numerous chamber music, currently working with Pianist Nafis Umerkulova and soprano Kristi Assaly. Recitals include St.Bride’s, Southwark Cathedral, St.Paul’s Picadilly, St. Mary’s Aylesbury and St. Martin in the fields. Recently she played in a trio with Rolf Hind in an event featuring the renowned  pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque.  

Amongst others she has attended master classes by Maxim Vengerov, Pinchas Zuchermann, Gordan Nikolich, Tasmin Little, Thomas Brandis, Keiko Wataya, Natalia Lomeiko, Remus Azotei, Alexsandar Pavlovic, Joshua Fisher and Charles Casselman.