Biography
Paula Izabella Gorbanova’s captivating playing and endless artistic curiosity have established her as an original violinist of the young generation. Mature well above her age, she communicates her artistic vision with her audiences through the violin.
Paula frequently performs as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician in several venues such as the Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, Grafenegg Castle in Austria, Milton Court Concert Hall, LSO-St. Luke’s, Barbican Hall, Royal Festival Hall, St. Peter’s Church in Notting Hill, Drapers’ Hall, Haberdashers’ Hall, Merchant Taylors’ Hall, Jerwood Hall, Lark Hall, Domène in Isère, Great Guild Hall and St. Peter’s Church in Riga, and the Estonian Academy of Arts Chamber Hall including recitals in Germany, Lithuania, Sweden and France. As a soloist, she has performed with the City of London Soloists and Hornton Chamber Orchestra.
Born in October 1997, Paula began her violin studies at the age of six under Nelly Sarkisian at Emils Darzins Secondary Music School in Riga. She is currently pursuing postgraduate studies under the tutelage of Prof. Jacqueline Ross at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from where she has gained a First Class Bachelor of Music. She has participated in numerous masterclasses with Friedemann Eichhorn, Eva Bindere, Tobias Granmo, Wolfgang Redik as well as with members from the Chilingirian, Dante, Endellion, and Heath Quartets.
Other notable moments during her studies at the Guildhall include her participation in orchestral projects led by Sir Simon Rattle (LSO & Guildhall Side-by-Side), Vassily Sinaisky and Marin Alsop.
In 2019 Paula became the ULSA Sonderpreis winner of the Queen Sophie-Charlotte International Violin Competition in Germany and has been a Talent Unlimited artist since 2017.
A devoted chamber musician alongside her solo work, Paula has enjoyed regular coaching from Guildhall professors Dr. E.Rothstein, C. Murray, C.Palmer, K.Smietana, S.Blendis and M.Jones. More recently, her collaboration with musicians from the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra has resulted in performances in New York and Athens. Her ongoing collaboration with pianist Stavros Dritsas has resulted in several recitals, most notably in London's St. James's Piccadilly, J.Vitols Latvian Academy of Music and several venues across the U.K.
Paula performs on a fine 19th century Italian violin, kindly on loan by Florian Leonhard Fine Violins. She is the recipient of the Wolfson Foundation Instrument Award 2019 that allowed her to purchase a violin bow by Jeans Paulus, and is grateful to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, The Stephen Bell Charitable Trust, Henry Wood Trust, Albert Cooper Music Charitable Trust, Wolfson Foundation and Talent Unlimited for their generous support.