Presented by the Royal College of Music
Turkish violinist Ezgi Sarikcioglu is currently studying Artist Diploma with the internationally renowned pedagogue Itzhak Raskovsky at the Royal College of Music, London, where she is an RCM Award Holder supported by the George Stennett Award and The Royal College of Music. She is a scholar of the ÇEV Sanat, Turkey, which is sponsored by QNB Finansbank. Ezgi is also generously sponsored by Talent Unlimited. Ezgi plays on a violin by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, Paris 1850 and a bow by Baltitude and gratefully acknowledges its loan from RCM, London.
Ezgi is a recipient of several prizes including the 1st prize at Berlin International Music Competition - Sforzando, the 1st prize at Paris Slave De Musique Conservatory competition 'We Play Together'. Additionally, she was awarded by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, and supported with Women Stars of Tomorrow, Young Musicians Support Fund.
Maria Tarasewicz has gained an international reputation as a chamber musician, duo partner and a pedagogue. She is committed to working with and developing younger artists, and invitations not only as a performer but also as a teacher and accompanist have taken her to Norway, Belgium, France, Italy, Jersey, San Marino, Poland, China and many UK festivals and masterclasses. Maria has performed in all of London’s major concert venues including Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall Purcell Room and many others. She also appears regularly on BBC Radio 3.
On her path she had been inspired by many fantastic artists whose influence has shaped the direction of her music-making. The pantheon of these is large and include Ivry Gitlis, Maxim Vengerov, Gavriel Lipkind, Vladimir Perlin, Leonid Gorokhov, Leonid Kerbel, Eugeni and Olga Moguilevski, Natalia Radecka, Iya Pavlova, Boyan Vodenitcharov, Michael Dussek.
Maria searches for artistic answers through being the co-founder of The Thinking Musician and outreach projects with organisations such as BlindAid. Inevitably the truth is that, by searching answers, she only finds more questions.