Yaroslava Trofymchuk is a Ukrainian cellist currently studying at the Royal College of Music under Natalie Clein. She is an RCM scholar generously supported by Geoff and Carole Lindey, Sara Naudi and The Zetland Foundation.
Since the beginning of her studies she has won several prestigious national and international competitions, prizes and awards. Most notable are the IV International Lysenko Competition; 'Best Performer' Cello Competition where she won a XIX century cello made by Charles Jeaucout; The John E Mortimer Award by The Philharmonia Orchestra; The Zetland Foundation Award and Albert Cooper Musical Award to name but a few.
As a soloist and in orchestras Yaroslava has performed in some of the world’s top concert halls, including Musikverein in Vienna, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Konzerhaus Berlin, and she has been part of Salzburg and Lucern festivals. In the UK, Yaroslava has appeared in well-known venues such as Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. Yaroslava is a keen orchestral player, having performed several times with London Symphony Orchestra as part of the String Experience Scheme; she was a member of the prestigious youth orchestra Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, and regularly performs with the Philharmonia Orchestra as part of The Martin Musical Scholarship Fund Instrumental Fellowship.
Yaroslava plays the Joseph Graubaugh and Sigrun Seifert modern cello kindly on loan to her from the RCM.
London based Maltese pianist Christine Zerafa has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in various venues and festivals around the UK and overseas. She has frequently appeared at major London venues including Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John Smith Square and St Martin in the Fields, amongst others. She has been recipient of various awards including the Bice Mizzi National Competition, RNCM Clifton Helliwell Prize, the RAM Scott Huxley prize for piano accompaniment, Schumann Lieder Accompanist Prize, the Eric Brough Prize and the John B McEwen Prize. Christine is a Park Lane Group Artist and a Tunnell Trust Artist.
Christine gained a Master of Music in solo performance from the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied with Norma Fisher and Paul Janes, after which she moved on to study with Andrea Lucchesini at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Florence. Having a great passion for collaboration with singers and instrumentalists, she then read for a Master of Music degree in piano accompaniment, which she recently completed with distinction at the Royal Academy of Music under the tuition of Michael Dussek, Malcolm Martineau and Ian Brown. She is currently reading for a PhD in performance at the Academy. Her studies have been kindly supported by the Malta Arts Scholarship, BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation, Janatha Stubbs Foundation, Silverstone Bursary, Royal Academy of Music and Gilling Family Scholarship.