About
My name is Bakyt Bekdjanov
Dr. Bakyt Bekdjanov was born in Bishkek, in the Kyrgyz Republic. He began his studies at the Music College of the Moscow State Conservatory of Music where he graduated in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in violin. He continued his studies at the Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory graduating with his master's degree in 1996.
In 1998, he obtained his doctorate from Nizhny Novgord State Conservatory, specializing in chamber music under Professors Benditskiy and Skulskaya.
From 1994 to 2003, Dr. Bekdjanov served as a first violin and assistant to the concertmasters of several orchestras including the Nizhny Novgorod State Opera Theatre, Arzamas Opera Theatre, and the President's Chamber Orchestra in Bishkek. He has also performed with the Moscow State Chamber Orchestra, the St.
Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra and the International Symphony Orchestra in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. As a member of the string quartet "Semetei" he performed at Carnegie Hall in 2003.
From 1998 to 2003, Mr. Bekdjanov taught violin, viola, and chamber music at the Kyrgyz National Conservatory and the Republic Music School in Bishkek. Since 2003, he lives and teaches violin/viola in California as a member of the Music Teachers' Association of California. He has been playing in Modesto's Townsend Opera, Merced Symphony, Veridian Symphony, California Camerata, and Stockton Symphony Orchestra.
About
My name is Irina Samarina
Born in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia), Dr. Irina Samarina received her bachelor's degree at the Music College of Nizhny Novgorod, as well as her master's degree and DMA at Nizhny Novgorod's Conservatory of Music.
She has toured as a soloist across the world in places like Russia, France, Germany, Israel, and Italy. She served as concertmaster for the International Festival Chamber Orchestra of and Symphony Orchestra of Nizhny Novgorod, Arzamas Opera Theater, Vivaldi Chamber Orchestra of Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod Opera Theater. She also worked in ensembles such as the Moscow State Chamber Orchestra (Russia) and the International Symphony Orchestra (Israel). She founded the Semetey String Quartet and played concerts in Carnegie Hall (New York), San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Stanford University. For several years she was concertmaster for the President Chamber Orchestra Manas in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Dr. Samarina is a laureate of several national and international competitions for violin and chamber music. Irina has had masterclasses with Zahar Bron, Marina Yashvile, Dora Schwarzberg and Semen Yaroshevish. She also had workshops and masterclasses in San Francisco Conservatory with
Mark Sokol, Paul Hersh and Yen Swensen, as well as at Stanford University with the San Lawrence String Quartet. Her repertoire is very wide and includes all different composers and styles.
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She taught chamber music classes and violin classes at the Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory, Kyrgyz National Conservatory, and the Republic Music School in Kyrgyzstan for many years. As of 2003, she lives and teaches in California as a member of the Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC). Her students are constantly winning various competitions, taking CM tests, with some of them going on to become professional musicians. Important to note, Irina has extensive experience teaching kids with disabilities.
Currently she is performing with the Stockton Symphony Orchestra, Auburn Symphony, and Folsom Symphony. Additionally, she has been working as an Adjunct Professor at American River College for the last seven years.
About
My name is Timur Bekdjanov
Timur Bekdjanov is a violinist-violist who holds a bachelor’s degree from the prestigious University of California, Berkeley.
Born into a musical family, Timur began his musical journey
at a very young age. He started playing the violin at the age of three, practicing with his mother, and later took up the piano at five and the viola at twelve. Throughout his studies, Timur was guided by esteemed teachers including his parents – Irina
Samarina and Bakyt Bekdjanov – as well as Li Lin, Viktoria Klyushnik, Anna Presler, and Anna Kruger.
His dedication to music has earned him numerous accolades in state, national, and international competitions held in France, England, Austria, and Italy. Notable achievements include winning the Golden Classical Music Award and the Grand Prize Virtuoso, alongside performances at prestigious venues like the Carnegie Hall in New York, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and the Philharmonie de Paris. In addition, Timur had the honor of performing at the Sydney Opera House as part of the International Student String Orchestra.
Timur also was a member of the Premiere Sacramento Youth
Symphony for four years, during which he showcased his talents in cities like Prague, Bratislava, and Brno. His commitment to orchestral music is further demonstrated through his multi-year
participation in the California All-State Honors String Orchestra, Bryte Church Orchestra, and his high school orchestra, where he was the concertmaster. Additionally, he has played with the
American River College Symphony Orchestra, where he was the assistant principal violist, as well as a soloist on both the violin and viola.
Currently, Timur plays regularly with the Stockton Chamber Orchestra and the Stockton Choral Orchestra. Over the past decade, he has been an active member of the Joy String Quartet,
focusing on works by contemporary American composers. His extensive repertoire includes a wide range of styles and composers, such as Bach, Tchaikovsky, Bruch, Lalo, Paganini, Sarasate, Bartók, Walton, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Timur's passion for music extends beyond performance; he began teaching friends at the age of thirteen and subsequently stepped in for his mother as a violin instructor whenever necessary. He
has also contributed to training school orchestras and chamber groups, sharing his love for music with the next generation. In his teachings, Timur works with students to prepare for festivals,
orchestras, recitals, auditions, and music exams such as Certificate of Merit (CM) and the ABRSM Royal test.
About
My name is Solomiya Shvaikovska
Solomiya Shvaikovska hails from the beautiful city of Lviv in Ukraine and has a deep passion for music. She graduated from the Music Academy and a postgraduate course in chamber music. She's traveled across Europe to participate in chamber music masterclasses. She has had the honor of being a concertmaster for cello groups in several orchestras, including the International New Symphony Orchestra Lemberg (Ukraine - Switzerland), the LvivVirtuosos Academic Chamber Orchestra (Ukraine), and the Kendlingers K&K Philharmoniker (Austria). As a member of the "Klassic-Modern" string quartet, she has taken part in various competitions and festivals in Europe and Great Britain. Beyond her professional achievements, Solomiya generously volunteers her musical talents at her church, where she serves as the concertmaster of the choir under the guidance of her husband. Her family, including her husband and three children, is her greatest source of inspiration, and they often come together to share their love for music.
About
My name is Kseniya Grinevich
Kseniya Grinevich began playing the Cello and Piano at the age of 9. She attended the Central Music School in Minsk, Belarus, and later graduated from the four-year National Music College of Belarus with two majors in Performance and Teaching in 1997. Her performance career began in 1995, during which she toured extensively with various orchestras and music groups across Poland, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium until 2001. Kseniya served as both a soloist and the principal cellist for the National Music College Chamber Orchestra for two years. She also held the position of conductor and music director for the youth orchestra at Church Golgotha in Minsk for nearly four years. Additionally, she taught Cello, Piano, Jazz Piano and Voice at a local music school and gymnasium in Minsk for four and a half years.
In 2003, Kseniya relocated to California, where she continued performing with various ensembles and symphonic groups, including the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of Northern California, and the ARC Symphony Orchestra. She pursued further music studies and performed as a soloist with ARC Symphony Orchestra in 2008.
Kseniya Grinevich has been teaching Cello, Piano and Voice for 22 years.
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She is quick to assess what each individual student requires in terms of teaching style. Each student is unique, which can only mean that each practice session will be unique as well! Students of Kseniya will be exposed to many different genres of music from many different time periods, which will hopefully spark new interests! In her class, students receive well-rounded music education, studying repertoire from all eras of classical music and emphasizing fundamentals such as the development of technical proficiency, sight-reading skills, and the study of music theory.
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Kseniya believes that the pupil-teacher relationship is extremely important for the student's progress. Thus, her aim is to inspire their development in a dynamic, fun way by having them learn and perform exciting compositions that challenge their abilities, stimulating their growth and continuing their enjoyment of music. She strongly encourages her students to attend live concerts, to perform regularly, and to expand their musical experience through ensemble playing. She is also a registered vendor with several charter school programs. She is preparing students for standardized exams on their instrument for ABRSM and RCM tests as well as various Competitions and Festivals.
In addition to teaching, she remains an active performer in local orchestras and ensembles such as Animato.
About
My name is Eunice Bancu
Eunice Bancu is a pianist, accompanist, and educator whose career spans over 15 years of teaching, performance, and collaborative work across Northern California.
For the last few years, she had served as applied piano instructor at William Jessup University. Alongside her university teaching, Eunice has maintained a thriving private studio in Sacramento and has long been on faculty at the Pacific Institute of Music in Folsom, where she works with students of all ages to cultivate a lifelong passion for piano.
An experienced collaborative pianist, Eunice has accompanied choirs, soloists, and ensembles in diverse contexts ranging from church services to high school choirs and university voice
studios. She has held positions at UC Davis, Sheldon High School, Faith Presbyterian Church, and Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, among others.
Eunice’s church work has been equally extensive, serving as pianist, organist, and music director for congregations, where she has provided accompaniment for weekly services and major liturgical seasons, as well as led rehearsals and conducted choirs. In each role, she brings sensitivity, adaptability, and artistry to support both worship and performance settings.
Her education includes a Master of Music in Piano Performance from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition from the University of California,
Davis. In addition to her training in classical repertoire, she is skilled in improvisation and arranging. Through her work as a performer, educator, and accompanist, Eunice is committed to sharing music that uplifts, connects, and inspires both students and audiences.
