Irina Zahharenkova is one of the most outstanding keyboard performers of her generation to emerge from Estonia today.

 

She has won first prizes from major international piano competitions as the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (Leipzig, Germany – 2006), Alessandro Casagrande International Piano Competition (Terni, Italy – 2006), International Competition George Enescu (Bucharest, Romania – 2005), and Jaén International Piano Contest (Jaén, Spain – 2004). In 2008 she became prize-winner in Artur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv, Israel. Irina has also been a laureate in Prague Spring competition in Czech Republic (2005) – as a harpsichordist and in Festival van Vlaanderen competition in Bruges, Belgium (2004) – as fortepianist. She was a winner of 2007 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Award.

 

''Wanda Landowska worthy successor by her expressive manner,

huge repertoire (from Scarlatti to Ligeti) and breathtaking technique!''

- Christine Ducq, La Revue du Spectacle.fr

 

''The wonderful harpsichord playing of Irina Zahharenkova,

her playing is rhytmic, inventive and skilful''

- Dominy Clement, MusicWeb International

 

"Irina Zahharenkova was very impressive /.../ we got all the musical colour we might have wished for, but played with the delicacy required to blend with the other musicians."

   - David Karlin, Bachtrack 

 

 

Irina Zahharenkova obtained her Master of Music degree in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Prof. Lilian Semper and in Sibelius Academy in Finland with Prof. Hui-Ying Líu-Tawaststjerna. In addition to piano she explored early keyboards, studying harpsichord with prof. Maris Valk-Falk and fortepiano with Prof. Pekka Vapaavuori.

She has attended masterclasses of Sir András Schiff, Stephen Kovacevich, Angela Hewitt, Malcolm Bilson, Pierre Hantaï and others.

 

Performing frequently in solo piano and harpsichord recitals in Europe and Asia, Irina Zahharenkova has played among others in Klavier-Festival Ruhr and Mendelssohn Festival in Germany, Spoleto Festival, Serate Musicali di Milano and Accademia Chigiana Festival in Italy, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Naantali Festival, Mikkeli Summer Festival in Finland, Prades Pablo Casals Festival in France, Enescu Festival in Romania, Bergen International Festival in Norway and many others.

 

As soloist she has appeared with BBC Ulster Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Israel Philarmonic Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of North Carolina, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Finlandia and others, played with such conductors as Olari Elts, Robert Trevino, Daniel Raiskin, Juha Kangas, Risto Joost, Dmitri Alexeev, Leif Segerstam, Patrick Gallois.

 

As an active chamber musician Irina Zahharenkova has played among others with Elina Vähälä, Arto Noras, Klaus Mäkelä, Harri Mäki, Réka Szilvay, Jaakko Luoma, Jaakko Kuusisto, Martti Rousi, Minna Pensola, Antti Tikkanen, Sergey Malov, Daniel Müller-Schott, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Patrick Gallois, Sascha Sitkovetsky, Nicolas Dautricourt, Daniel Rowland, Jacques Zoon, Ilya Gringolts, Harmut Rohde, Nicholas Daniel, Radovan Vlatkovic, Ivan Monghetti.

 

Her repertoire encompasses a wide range of musical styles from baroque to contemporary.

Apart from concert activities Irina Zahharenkova is working as a part-time piano teacher in Sibelius Academy and in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.

                                                                       

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RECORDINGS

 

2010 Bach Goldberg Variations (Classical Records in Moscow);

 

2010 Keyboard Juggleress. Works of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (live concert DVD, harpsichord, fortepiano and piano, Estonian Record Productions);

 

2010 Edition Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Beethoven (live recordings of festival artists, WDR 3);

 

2012 Scarlatti Sonatas (Classical Records);

 

2017 Geneva Competition Piano Laureates (Rameaun Suite in A Minor; Claves Records);

 

2019 Hans Gal. Selected Works (With Hanna Pakkala (viola), Toccata Classics);

 

2020 Emanuel Moor. Selected Works (With David Stromberg (cello), Bavarian Radio/Oehms Classics);

 

Coming 2020: Mozart Piano Sonatas (Classical Records);

 

Coming 2020: Bach Partitas (Claves Records);

 

Coming 2021: Rameau Complete Keyboard Works.

 

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COMPETITION RECORD

 

V Prize. Artur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition 2008 (Tel Aviv, Israel);

 

VI Prize. Maj Lind International Piano Competition 2007 (Helsinki, Finland);

 

I Prize and Audience Prize. The International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition 2006 (Leipzig, Germany);

 

I Prize and two Special Prizes for the best interpretation of a Mozart Piano Sonata and that of a work by A. Casagrande). The Alessandro Casagrande International Piano Competition 2006 (Terni, Italy);

 

IV Prize. Villa-Lobos International Piano Competition 2006 (São Paulo, Brazil)

 

III Prize. Geneva International Piano Competition 2005 (Geneva, Switzerland)

 

I Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of Enescu´s Piano Sonata. The International Competition George Enescu 2005 (Bucharest, Romania)

 

III Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of compulsory contemporary piece. “Prague Spring” International Harpsichord Competition 2005 (Prague, Czech Republic)

 

II Prize and two Special Prizes for the best interpretation of the compulsory contemporary piece and that of a French work). The Epinal International Piano Competition 2005 (Epinal, France)

 

III Prize. Festival van Vlaanderen International Fortepiano Competition 2004 (Bruges, Belgium)

 

I Prize, Audience Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of the compulsory contemporary piece. The Jaén International Piano Contest 2004 (Jaén, Spain)

 

II Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of M.K. Ciurlionis’s works. The M.K. Ciurlionis International Piano Competition 2003 (Vilnius, Lithuania).