Born on 7th January 1982 in Lublin, Poland, Lena started playing the violin at the age of seven. In September 2001 she commenced her studies at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan (Posen) studying with Prof. Marcin Baranowski. In May 2006 she graduated with distinction obtaining her MMus degree. In June 2008 she graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London studying with Prof. E. Gruenberg (PGDip, DipRAM for an outstanding final recital). In September 2009 she will commence her MMus studies (orchestral major) at the Geneva Music Conservatory studying with Tedi Papavrami.
Lena has been a 10-time participant of the Zeon Brzewski International Summer Master Classes in Lancut, Poland. During the years 1995-2001 she had been awarded the President of Lublin Scholarship. As a student at the Academy of Music in Poznan she had annually been awarded a merit-based scholarship. She was also awarded RAM scholarships (Belmore Woodgate Scholarship and Coutts Bursary). In November 2004 she became a finalist and was awarded a distinction at the 7th Zenon Jahnke National Violin Competition in Poznan. As a student of the Royal Academy of Music she participated in master classes run by Maxim Vengerov, Sylvia Rosenberg (Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard), Alexander Pavlovic, Thomas Brandis and Zvi Zeitlin. She has taken part in Sir Peter Maxwell Davis Composers` Workshops. As a soloist and quartet leader she has performed e.g. in Duke`s Hall, St. Martin-In-The-Fields (London) and Johannesburg (SA) with the UBS Verbier String Quartet. She participated in the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Luebeck (2005), Verbier Festival and Academy (2007, 2008), Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme (2008) and Aldeburgh Festival (2008). She also became a finalist of the Philharmonia Orchestra/Martin Musical Scholarship Fund Orchestral Award (2007) and Ricci Foundation Award (2008) as well as a winner of RAM Sir Arthur Bliss Prize (2008).
As an orchestral musician Lena has worked with Poznan Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Manning Camerata, Britten Sinfonia and London Contemporary Orchestra. She was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra and a leader of numerous student and youth orchestras in London ( e.g. RAM Concert and Symphony Orchestra, Manson Ensemble, Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra ) as well as a member of the prestigious Royal Academy Soloists led by Clio Gould from RPO and the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra. She has been collaborating with conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Andrej Borejko, Sir Colin Davis, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Edward Gardner, Manfred Honeck, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mikhail Pletnev, Zubin Mehta, Sir Andrew Davis, Charles Dutoit, Paavo Jarvi, Gianandrea Noseda, Rafael Frubeck de Burgos, Valery Gergiev, Daniele Gatti and soloists: Nigel Kennedy, Albrecht Mayer, Boris Berezovski, Janine Jansen, Maxim Rysanov, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Evgeny Kissin, Martha Argerich, Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn, Helene Grimaud, Radu Lupu, Lawrence Power, Steven Isserlis, Sergey Khachatryan and Leonidas Kavakos. She has been performing in Germany (e.g. Berlin`s concert hall and Koncerthaus, Munich`s concert hall, Leipzig`s Gewandhaus), Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands (e.g. Amsterdam`s Koncertgebouw), France, Japan, Italy, Switzerland (Tonhalle in Zurich), Sweden, United Kingdom (BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall), Denmark, Latvia and North America (Walt Disney Auditorium in LA, Avery Fischer Hall in New York). She is currently on trial with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (no3 1st vln, sub-leader) and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (no7 1st vln) as well as an extra player with Philharmonia Orchestra and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
Contact info:
5 Springcroft Ave
London N2 9JH, UK
mob. +44 7794 652 052
e-mail: lena_zeliszewska@yahoo.com
