Biography

Danish/British violinist Emma-Marie Kabanova studied composition and musicology and then completed a Master’s degree in performance of music by late Soviet composers at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She completed further studies in violin performance at the Novosibirsk Conservatory and studied privately with Dagmara Kalashkova,  a principal violinist of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra in Moscow, Russia. Emma-Marie studied baroque violin and historical performance at the Malmo Academy of Music in Sweden and received a scholarships to attend masterclasses at the Antonio Vivaldi Academy in Venice, Italy and the International Baroque Masterclasses in Gaming, Austria. She has also attended masterclasses with such esteemed violinists as Rachel Podger and Tatiana Grindenko.

 

Formerly based in Moscow, Russia Emma-Marie was was the artistic director of Globus Music baroque ensemble where she created collaborative projects with singers and dancers from the Bolshoi Theatre, the Helikon Opera and the Stanislavsky Theatre. In 2022 she was invited to become a guest principal with the Moscow Baroque Soloists, and she regularly performed with Opera Omnia early opera company and other early music ensembles. As a soloist she has performed with orchestras in the UK, The National Chamber Orchestra of Moldova, and at festivals in the UK, Hungary and Turkey. Emma-Marie teaches violin and has worked as a classroom music teacher. Between 2007 and 2014 she set up musical education projects working with terminally ill children in Siberia and young offenders in an institution in Moscow. In 2017 was given a ‘Points of Light’ award by the UK Prime Minister for this work.

 

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Emma-Marie returned to the UK where she has been working as a freelance violinist and has accepted the post of Baroque Specialist at the Dorset Rural Music School. She performs with the Baroque chamber music ensemble Phantasia. In 2023 the ensemble was featured on Classic FM. In 2024 Emma-Marie performed the complete Mystery Sonatas by H.I.F. von Biber in a series of charity concerts together with Phantasia. Following on from this, Phantasia became grantees of the Continuo Foundation who have supported a summer tour of the South of England. In 2024 Emma-Marie co-founded Wessex Baroque Collective with harpsichordist David Gostick. Emma-Marie is currently Musician in Residence at Shaftesbury Art's Centre.