Irina Zahharenkova
/ piano
Irina Zahharenkova is one of the most outstanding keyboard performers of her generation to emerge from Estonia today.
She has won top prizes in several international competitions such as the Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig (2006), the Alessandro Casagrande Competition in Italy (2006), the Georges Enesco Competition in Romania (2005), the Prémio Jaén Competition in Spain (2004).
Irina Zahharenkova has studied piano at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Prof. Lilian Semper and at the Sibelius Academy with Prof. Hui-Ying Liu-Tawaststjerna. In addition, she often gives concerts on the historical keyboard instruments - the harpsichord and the Hammerklavier.
Irina Zaharenkova has performed at festivals in Italy, Germany, France, Romania, Finland, Norway and Estonia, and has appeared as soloist with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Helsinki City Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre National de Lorraine and many other orchestras.
Her recordings have also attracted attention. A CD of Scarlatti's sonatas, released in 2012 under the Moscow label Classical Records, has received particularly positive reviews. Irina Zahharenkova is the recipient of the Estonian Cultural Endowment's Annual Prize for the Arts (2020).