Renate Sokolovska is a highly sought-after London-based flautist with a wealth of diverse experience, ranging from Royal Festival Hall and Purcell Room solo recitals, to working with London Sinfonietta and Orchestra of Age of Enlightenment, and performing at Glastonbury with experimental music ensemble Floating Points.
Born in Siberia, Renate grew up in Latvia before moving to the UK to study at Purcell School with Anna Pope. She was subsequently awarded a scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music where she studied with William Bennett, Kate Hill, Karen Jones and baroque flute with Lisa Beznosiuk.
Renate received the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund award and won the Latvian Young Flautist International Competition as well as the Gradus ad Parnassum Competition. She was accepted for the Orchestra of Age of Enlightenment Ann and Peter Law Experience Scheme. As a freelance orchestral player, Renate has performed with the London Sinfonietta, London Contemporary Orchestra, Bath Philharmonia Orchestra, Mahler International Orchestra and London International Chamber Orchestra amongst others.
Renate co-founded the St. James Quintet (prizes including Royal Overseas League, Leverhulme Fellows, Park Lane Group and Concordia) and La Mer Trio (appearing at King’s Place as well as the Late Music and Fishguard International Festivals).
In 2016 Renate returns from a year of advanced studies at The Moscow Conservatoire with Olga Ivusheikova and Oleg Hudyakov to begin on her Master of Music in Performance programme at The Royal College of Music. She is a Lark Scholar with the generous support of David Foster and Julie Webb, and is also assisted by a bursary from The John And Heather Clemence Charitable Settlement. This year Renate will collaborate with experimental composer and producer Mica Levi (‘Micachu’) and will also join the Britten-Pears Orchestra under Marin Alsop.
Russian harpist Valeria Kurbatova started her musical career at the age of 8 when she began studying the harp at the Gnessin State Musical College and later Moscow Conservatoire College.
Later she has won ABRSM scholarship to come and study in London’s Royal College of music. She graduated with the distinction in 2015.
Valeria has performed as a soloist and in ensemble groups in numerous concerts, in a vast range of concert halls across the world. London concert halls she has played include: Wigmore Hall, The Barbican, Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, The Forge, The National Gallery, The Houses of Parliament, The Royal College of Music concert halls. She has also performed for HRH the Prince of Wales and Prince Michael of Kent on numerous occasions.
In 2013 Valeria became a principal harpist of the London Electronic Orchestra founded by Kate Simko. The project has had success since the very first show. They have performed at the iTunes Festival, Boiler Room in Ibiza, Bestival, The Forge, Royal Albert Hall as well as concerts in France, US, Thailand.
Valeria won awards at the number of different International harp and music competitions: Scholarships from 'New Names Foundation', prize 'young talent' from Spivakov International Foundation, 1st prize at the International Harp Competition in Moscow, Young Talent award at the Moscow Music Festival, 4th prize at the International Cardiff harp Competition, 'Best student of the year' award in 2011 (among all music conservatoires in Russia), 'Young Soloist' award and the Jellinek Prize, 1st prize at the Royal College of Music harp competitions in 2012 and 2014, In 2012 she was selected as a Rising Star by The Royal College of Music.
An active chamber musician, Valeria is a co-founder of Solovey Ensemble featuring Renate Sokolovska flute and Shiry Rashkovsky viola. Next season sees the ensemble tour across the UK including recitals in St James Piccadilly and Elgar Room (RAH).
Free recital (retiring collection)