Polina Makhina and Dina Duisen

PROGRAM OF MUSIC

Programme

Biography

Polina Makhina is an accomplished Russian born British violinist. At the age of 8, she secured her first Grand Prix at Voronezh Music College, setting in motion a career defined by remarkable achievements and unwavering dedication. Since then, she has taken part in competitions and festivals across Russia and countries like Germany, Kazakhstan, and Switzerland, becoming a laureate of such prestigious competitions as X Youth Delphic Games of Russia, The Rotary Competition and VII International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. Moreover, Polina’s musical career has been punctuated by memorable recitals, including performances at the General Consulate in Bonn, Germany. She has also had the privilege of collaborating with esteemed state and national orchestras in both Russia and the United Kingdom.

In 2013, Polina received a significant boost when she was awarded a full scholarship from the PF Charitable Trust. This scholarship marked the beginning of her studies at The Purcell School of Music for young musicians, an institution where her talent blossomed under the guidance of Nathaniel Vallois. Her accomplishments included winning the Windsor and Maidenhead Young Musician competition and performing with the Amadeus Symphony Orchestra in St Albans in September 2018. 

The United Kingdom became a canvas for Polina’s musical artistry. She has performed extensively in solo, orchestral and chamber capacities, in venues including Brocket Hall, Drapers Hall, Cadogan Hall (where she led the Purcell School Symphony Orchestra), Queen Elizabeth Hall, Great Hall of Eton and even Westminster Abbey, where she performed in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth herself. At the age of 16, Polina made her solo recital debut at the iconic Wigmore Hall and continues to perform there – her chamber recital took place in June 2018. 

In 2018, Polina embarked on her next chapter by enrolling at the Royal College of Music with a full scholarship. There, she honed her craft under the mentorship of Emily Sun. Since then, she has worked with conductors such as Kevin Edusei, Sir Antonio Pappano, Thomas Zehetmair and Vasily Petrenko. Her chamber group named ‘Bodman Quartet’ has performed numerous times and has been invited to play in venues such as LSO St. Luke’s as a part of lecture series by Gresham College. Moreover, Polina has taken part in multiple masterclasses with high calibre musicians such as Peter Herresthal, Francesca Dego, Vasko Vassiliev and Grigory Kalinovsky.

In 2021, Polina had the unique opportunity to record several pieces as part of the LGT Young Soloist ensemble at Abbey Road Studios, including the world premiere of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 14. In 2023, Polina achieved notable success, winning first place in both the RCM Violin Competition and the Concerto Competition. She performed the Korngold Violin Concerto with the RCM Symphony on June 27, 2024, under the baton of Martyn Brabbins. Moreover, she has recently performed in Wigmore Hall as a part of RCM’s String Showcase recital on April 28th. Also in 2023, Polina was selected to take part in the LSO Scheme, a key step in her rising career. Following the scheme, she is now on trial with the London Symphony Orchestra. 

Polina graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2022 with First Class Honours and continued her studies as a Postgraduate student, supported by a full scholarship and receiving the prestigious Stanley Picker Award. After completing her postgraduate degree in 2024, she is now pursuing an Artist Diploma at the RCM.

Kazakh-British pianist Dina Duisen was born into a family of musicians in Almaty, Kazakhstan. At the age of five, Dina started studying piano at Kulyash Bayseitova State Special School for Gifted Children together with her two brothers Ordabek and Ilyas, who are both violinists. By the age of thirteen she had made her debut with the Symphony Orchestra.

After graduating from school, Dina continued her studies at the Kazakh National Academy of Music before being awarded a full scholarship on the Artist Diploma programme at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, from which she graduated in 2008. Dina started studying for the new Master of Arts Degree in Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, under the tutelage of Christopher Elton, Hamish Milne and Kathryn Stott, and graduated with distinction in 2011.

Dina took part in Rome Music Festival, Oxford International Piano Festival, Sergei Babayan’s International Piano Academy in Cleveland Institute of Music, Vibrate Festival and George Enescu Festival. She has been the resident class pianist at IMS Prussia Cove, Casalmaggiore International Music Festival, New Virtuosi International Masterclasses, Jiafeng Chen International International Music Sunmer Course, currently working at the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music. Dina has performed at the Holywell Music Room, Jacqueline du Pre Music Building, Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham, Milton Court, Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall and Cadogan Hall.

She regularly works with Nicola Benedetti, Martin James Bartlett and Robert Cohen. She performed in Asia, Canada, Europe, USA. She made her debut at Cadogan Hall in a dramatised concert ‘Byron: Angel & Outcast’ with actors Simon Russell Beale and Rob Heaps, the same concert was given in Astana, Kazakhstan.

She started her annual mini-festival of chamber music ‘Dina & Friends’ last year. Dina released her solo debut album ‘Mazurkas from Chopin to Adès’ which was recorded at Kings Place with the Grammy-award winning producer Andrew Keener giving the Asian premiere of ‘Mazurkas’ by British composer Thomas Adès. ​