Lunchtime Recital - Julia Blachuta, violin

Programme:

L. van Beethoven – Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30 No. 31. Allegro assai2. Tempo di Minuetto3. Allegro vivace

K. Szymanowski – Myths, Op. 301. La fontaine d’Aréthuse (The Fountain of Arethusa)

J. Brahms – Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 1081. Allegro2. Adagio3. Un poco presto e con sentimento4

Free Entry. No Ticket Required. Retiring collection, suggestion £5

Biography:

Julia Błachuta is a Polish violinist born in 2001 in Krakow into a non-musical family. She began playing the violin at the age of seven and made her debut with the ‘Fresco Sonare’ Orchestra at the age of twelve, performing Wieniawski’s II Violin Concerto. At the age of seventeen, Julia completed a three-year program at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna. Concurrently, she pursued studies at both her music and general high schools in Krakow, Poland. She graduated receiving Bachelor with distinction from the Nowowiejski Music Academy in Bydgoszcz, Poland, studying under Professor Marcin Baranowski.

For the past four years, Julia has lived in London, where she graduated with first-class honors from the Royal College of Music under the guidance of Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky. She was awarded the prestigious HMD Meyer Violin Prize and supported by the L.G. Harris Trust Scholarship. Continuing her studies with Professor Rashkovsky at the Royal College of Music, Julia is now a recipient of an RCM scholarship, as well as the Drake Calleja Trust Award for 2024/2025 and the Countess of Munster Trust Award.

Julia has received numerous awards and honors, including the Julius Isserlis Scholarship from the Royal Philharmonic Society and the prestigious Minister of Culture Scholarship for her exceptional contributions to representing Polish culture internationally. She was also a finalist of the Claseek Ambassador Programme for the 2022/2023 artistic season held in Switzerland and nominated for the ICMA (International Classical Music Awards) Classek award. Julia was selected as an active participant in the prestigious Kronberg Academy Masterclasses 2023 under the guidance of Professor Miriam Fried.

She is a laureate of a dozen international and national violin competitions - 3rd prize at Eastbourne Young Soloist Competition, Grand Prix at the CEA National Chamber Audition in Warsaw, 2nd place at Serwaczynski violin competition in Lublin (with president of jury Zakhar Bron), 2nd place at the 3rd Jadwiga Kaliszewska International Violin Competition in Poznan, 4th place at the Groblicz National Violin Competition in Krakow, 2nd prize at Competition ’Talents for Europe’ in Dolny Kubin, laureate of International Competition Andrea Postacchini.

Julia is passionate about chamber music. She is a former violinist in the Astatine Piano Trio established at the Royal College of Music in 2021. Astatine Trio were First Prize winners at the 2022 Senior Intercollegiate Piano Trio Competition, as well as they received first prize and Luigi Boccherini Prize of the International Virtuoso & Belcanto Chamber Competition in Lucca, Italy in July 2022 and are they have won Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Competition in November 2022, and SEAM Prize for contemporary music commitment at Lyon International Chamber Music Competition CIMCL. The group is being mentored privately by Alfred Brendel in London. Trio debut in Wigmore Hall was in May 2022. Most recently they have also been selected as Britten Pears Young Artists for 2023/24, one of five ensembles chosen for the Chamber Music in Residence programme.

In addition to her classical music pursuits, Julia is also involved in alternative music as a member of the band called LOR since 2015. The band has released two full-length albums and enjoys a significant following, with over 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Their music has been featured in the Oscars film “Peasants” and the Polish Netflix-produced series “Open your eyes”.

Julia has performed in a variety of venues, including the Wigmore Hall, St James’ Piccadilly, 22 Mansfield Street, StMary’s Perivale, La Flaine Auditorium, St.George Bristol, Wiltshire Music Centre, Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music, Krakow Philharmonic, Auditorio de Tenerife, Polish Embassy in London, ICE Congress Centre, Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio of Polish Radio, Bradshaw Hall in Birmingham, Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, Teatro Fundación en Vigo.

Julia is regularly participating in masterclasses with internationally-acclaimed performers such us Alfred Brendel, Alina Ibragimova, Pavel Vernikov, Eszter Haffner, Krzyszfof Węgrzyn,Stanislav Pronin, Daniel Sepec, Guillaume Sutre, Francesca Diego, Tasmin Little, Miriam Fried, Szymon Krzeszowiec.

Julia is deeply grateful for the support she has received from the Talent Unlimited, Nicholas Boas Charitable Foundation, Pro Musica Bona Foundation, Albert Cooper Trust, Royal Philharmonic Society, Drake Calleja Trust, and Countess of Munster Trust. She is also thankful to Florian Leonhard for lending her the fine Audinot violin, crafted in 1860, which she is currently playing.