Biography

Belarusian Maya Irgalina is the recent graduate of the prestigious International Artist Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music. Supported by the Yamaha Foundation, Leverhulme Trust, BelSwissBank, and Else and Leonard Cross Scholarships, she has also gained a Master’s Degree with Distinction at the same conservatoire, studying with Graham Scott. Maya’s first steps onto the concert platform were made under the tutelage of Lilia Ter-Minasian at the Belarusian Academy of Music where she was an undergraduate. She also benefited from masterclasses with renowned pianists such as Dmitry Bashkirov, Peter Frankl, Matti Raekallio, Nelson Goerner, Michel Beroff, Gabriel Kwok and, among others, Stephen Hough.

Maya has lots of experience with piano competitions. Her international competition successes include First Prize at the Pro-Piano Romania competition (Bucharest, 2003), First Prize and a special diploma for the best performance of Schubert at the Europe-Asia competition (Orsk, 2004), Second Prize at the Maria Yudina competition (St Petersburg, 2006), Third Prize at the Alexandre Scriabine competition (Paris, 2007) and a Special Diploma at the Delia Steinberg Competition (Madrid, 2008). In 2009 she was a prize-winner at the Dudley International Piano Competition, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 27 in B flat major with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Michael Seal. She received the Special Prize of the Sydney International Piano Competition 2012. She has also gained considerable success in RNCM competitions, winning the Ryzhard Bakst Chopin’s Prize, Concerto Auditions in 2011 and the Gordon Green Prize. In June 2010 she won the College’s highest accolade for solo performance: the RNCM Gold Medal.

Maya has developed a busy recital schedule having performed throughout Italy, France, Austria, China, Poland, Russia and Belarus with highlights including performances in Purcell Room in London, Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, China, Stift Melk Pavilion, Austria, and in Haworth to mark the return of the Brontë piano to the Brontë family home. The concerto appearances include the performance of Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra and performance of Mozart’s Concerto K.488 with Manchester Camerata.