Young Artist Interview: Irmina Trynkos

Irmina Trynkos 4
I very much believe that music is a true calling; it’s not something you can really choose. Music chooses you. I was born into a non-musical family and as a stubborn only child managed to convince everybody at the age of three that I would be a violin soloist. My only influence was watching for hours and hours classical music concerts on TV at my grandma’s little flat when my parents were working. Against all odds, this passion has taken me around the world to study with amazing musicians and at famous music institutions such as “Mozarteum” in Salzburg, USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles and maybe most notably with Lydia Mordkovitch at the Royal Academy of Music.

I became part of the WCOM family after winning the Maisie Lewis Award and consequently gave my debut recital at Wigmore Hall in London. This was an incredible experience and the beginning of a new path for me. Since then I have given debut recitals at internationally renowned concert halls such as Berliner Philharmonie, Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre, Shanghai Concert Hall and most recently Amsterdam’s famous Concertgebouw, where I received six standing ovations. After rediscovering music by once highly celebrated composer and conductor Ignatz Waghalter, I recently released my debut CD recording with the amazing Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This album became a bestseller and won high praise and the international Supersonic Award.

I have been very fortunate to be able to play for all kinds of audiences and I especially cherish workshops organised by the WCOM for kids. It’s quite a mind-blowing experience because children are the most honest audience, which often means not the easiest one. I have always believed that if you can convince a child to listen to you, keep him or her interested throughout your playing and your spoken introductions then you can keep the attention of any audience. Therefore, I’m very grateful to the WCOM for the opportunity to play for such audiences and my personal development through those sessions. Having those experiences gives me a different view on preparation for my future concerts and projects. I take my inspirations for music from my own life and strongly believe the more I experience as a human being, the more interesting and outspoken my music will be.

I have a very exciting year ahead of me – amongst other events, I will be giving my debut performance at the Tonhalle in Zürich on February 16th. There I will be premiering “Sonata Concertante” by composer Nimrod Borenstein, which I’m proud to say is dedicated to me. This piece and a few others are part of my future recording plans and I hope to be able to share my next project with you at the beginning of 2015. I will also be touring China and performing in major halls such as the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre and Guangzhou Opera House. My next concert in London will be in March 2015 and the date will be announced in mid December on my website: www.irminatrynkos.com