Alyona Solomkina was born in the year 2002 in the city of Moscow. She received her initial musical education at the Children’s Music School named after Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky, where she studied under the instruction of teacher Svetlana Vorobyova. In 2022, she graduated with distinction from the Gnessin College of Music, where she studied under the guidance of Professor Milda Agazaryan. Since that same year, she has been a student at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, continuing her studies with the same teacher. In 2020, she was awarded the title of laureate at the First International Competition Kamerton Competition (Moscow). In 2022, she received the First Prize at the III International Festival-Competition Colors of Music (Moscow), and the Second Prize at the V Open Youth Harp Competition named after M. A. Rubin (Moscow). In 2023, she was awarded the Second Prize at the International Music Competition dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (Saint Petersburg). In 2024, she became the First Prize winner of the VII All-Russian Competition for Performing Musicians Music. Talent. Discovery (Moscow), and the Second Prize winner at the IV All-Russian Music Competition (Moscow). She is a recipient of the “Young Talents of Russia” Prize (Moscow, 2023) and a holder of the Presidential Grant. She is a member of the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Yuri Bashmet. Since 2024, she has been a participant in the programs of the Saint Petersburg Music House.

Alyona Solomkina: My mother recognized my passion for music at a very early age. By the time I was three and a half years old, whenever instrumental music came on the television, I would immediately stop whatever I was doing and listen attentively. My mother made an effort to encourage this interest and bought CDs with classical music. As a result, I was already familiar with many instruments at an early age. My favorites were the organ and the harp, and their timbre made a strong impression on me even then. A little later, during music lessons in kindergarten, I saw a toy harp. At that moment, I decided that I absolutely wanted one. I told my mother about it, but she misunderstood my request and took me to music school instead. In truth, I was not too upset by that. A real harp is better than a toy one. I had seen a harp before in the orchestra pit of a theater, but it was only during the school audition that I was able to examine the instrument up close. That was also when I met my first teacher, Svetlana Vladimirovna Vorobyova. It was already October, which was quite late in the school year, but since I wanted to play a rather rare instrument, I was accepted into the first grade right away. I was six years old.

Saint Petersburg Music House (SPMH): What has been the most challenging aspect of working with your instrument?
Alyona Solomkina: Despite its outward lightness and beauty, the harp is a rather difficult instrument, since all four limbs are engaged during performance. In addition to its 47 strings, it has seven pedals, which are responsible for changing the accidentals. This makes both sight-reading and learning new pieces significantly more complex, as the performer must first plan out all the foot movements in advance.

SPMH: What do you remember most about your first performances on a major stage?
Alyona Solomkina: My debut on a major stage took place relatively recently. In November 2024, the All-Russian Music Competition in the harp category was held, where I was awarded the Second Prize and received the title of laureate. I was incredibly happy about this event, as it was my first serious competition, and it was also the occasion of my debut as a soloist with orchestra. The competition allowed me to open up as a musician and gain confidence, so despite all the nerves, the final round felt like a celebration — all the more so because I was performing one of my favorite works, Glière’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra. Not everything turned out perfectly, but I experienced tremendous joy, and I know I was not the only one who felt such positive emotions in those moments. After the results were announced, the jury members gave very warm feedback about my performance.
But the truly major stage was still ahead. The day after the final, I was to perform at the laureates’ concert in the Grand Hall of Zaryadye. It seemed even more significant to me because I was to play completely alone — and the piece itself was highly intimate and chamber-like in character. The harp arrangement of The Lark by Glinka–Balakirev holds a special place in my heart. I’ve always felt that this piece is “about me,” but it took a long journey before my own interpretation was born. The day of the performance felt joyful, as if a marathon had come to an end. Despite my nerves, I felt confident. Nothing foreshadowed any trouble, but just a few minutes before going on stage, my hands started to tremble and turned to jelly. The most important thing for me at that point was not to let the audience see my anxiety. I had only one option: if you can’t play in tempo, play expressively. And then a miracle happened. No, my fingers didn’t suddenly start flying as if there were no nerves. But by not thinking about technique, I was able to surrender completely to the music and perform more convincingly than ever before. As it turns out, performing in large concert halls is even easier. The energy of the listeners fills your soul, and in that moment, something magical happens — as if an invisible connection forms between you and everyone in the hall. The memory of that concert is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

SPMH: What impression did the “Summer Academy” of the Saint Petersburg Music House in Crimea leave on you? How effective was this format as preparation for competitions?
Alyona Solomkina: When I saw the announcement that the harp would be included in the Summer Academy for the first time, I was incredibly excited by the idea of joining the session. Many of my friends who had had the good fortune to take part in these masterclasses spoke of them with great fondness, and their stories sparked a dream in me to go as well. The Summer Academy of the Saint Petersburg Music House is truly a unique project, where young musicians can simultaneously refine their skills, enjoy the beauty of Crimea, improve their health, and of course, spend time by the sea. Once my application was approved, I eagerly awaited the big day. The schedule for those two weeks was very intense and demanded full commitment and stamina. You must be ready at any moment to deliver your very best, which helps to build mental resilience, especially useful before competitions, particularly those involving travel, when you must be able to pull yourself together and give your all, regardless of the circumstances. The masterclasses themselves were incredibly productive. I was thrilled to once again study with Irina Anatolyevna Tishchenko, whose classes I had previously attended as part of the “River of Talents” project. Irina Anatolyevna is a superb teacher, a true musician, and a remarkably sensitive and perceptive person. Coming from the Moscow school, it was especially valuable for me to hear the perspective of the Saint Petersburg tradition on works that have long been part of my repertoire. I am endlessly grateful for that. Another pleasant surprise was the painting masterclasses. I have loved drawing since childhood, but ever since music completely captured me, I have had very little time to dedicate to it. It was a real joy to hold a paintbrush again.

SPMH: What are your expectations for the new concert and academic year?
Alyona Solomkina: Since I am graduating from the academy this year, the year promises to be both eventful and challenging. My plans include not only mastering my graduation program but also preparing for upcoming concerts and competitions. I know that a great deal of work still lies ahead. I will continue to work on myself, improve my performance, and define the future direction of my development as a musician.

SPMH: With which musical era do you associate the ideal harp repertoire?
Alyona Solomkina: The harp in its modern form appeared relatively recently. It was only in the early nineteenth century that piano maker Sébastien Érard perfected the mechanism originally invented by Jakob Hochbrucker. By that time, the harp already had pedals, but only five of them, which severely limited the available key choices. The mechanism for shortening the string to raise the pitch was also quite primitive, which caused the instrument to fall out of tune during performance. At that stage, the harp was mainly used for domestic music-making, and well-known composers rarely wrote for it. With the arrival of Érard’s seven-pedal harp and its recognition as a professional concert instrument, composers’ interest in writing for it increased accordingly. The number of harpists who composed for their own instrument also grew. One important direction taken by harpists who began playing on Érard’s harp was the adaptation of already well-known works written for other instruments. That tradition continues to this day and helps expand our repertoire. Since the nineteenth century was the era of Romanticism, most of the major works for harp were composed during that time. The sound of the harp has the power to touch the most delicate strings of the soul, which is why I believe it aligns beautifully with the spirit of the Romantic era. As a result, all harpists begin playing Romantic repertoire from a very young age, and in most cases, this develops into a deep affection for it. I am no exception, and the majority of pieces in my repertoire are from the Romantic period.

SPMH: In this anniversary year dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach, his music is being performed more frequently than ever. At the October “Evenings in the English Hall,” you will also present a fragment of his Second Partita for Keyboard in the harp arrangement by Ryan-Ferrero. What emotions does this composition evoke for you?
Alyona Solomkina: During the preparation of this piece, I experienced an exceptionally wide range of emotions. There are no original compositions by Bach for the harp, so we work with arrangements. I had listened to this Partita many times before, and when it came time to choose a Bach work for the first round of the All-Russian Competition, I was truly delighted to find that there was a harp arrangement of a Partita I already loved. I knew from the outset that it would not be an easy task. The third section is a two-voice fugue. Fugues are rarely performed on the harp because of the instrument’s sustained resonance, which is an advantage in Romantic music but presents a challenge here. The voices tend to merge, and the harmonies begin to blur into one another — something that is absolutely unacceptable in a fugue. This specific characteristic of the instrument adds a layer of difficulty for harpists. In addition, because of the pedal mechanism, a kind of third voice inevitably emerges in the texture. This is something keyboard players do not have to think about, but harpists must account for it meticulously. Once I had learned the notes, a far more complex task stood before me — shaping the interpretation. I believe the harp’s timbre is very well suited to Bach’s music. It sounds authentic on the instrument, but the greater issue lies elsewhere: harpists do not have an established tradition for performing Bach, which often leads to stylistic inaccuracies. Personally, I had performed only a small number of his works before, although I had listened to many. During my preparation, I watched recordings of masterclasses on Bach interpretation, sought advice from pianist and violinist friends, and made repeated recordings of my own playing. I came to one conclusion: when performing Romantic music, we are allowed to speak about ourselves and our emotions, but in Bach’s music, we must bow before something greater. Bach worshipped God through his music. Now musicians worship Bach, and through him, God. It is impossible to play this music without even a drop of spiritual reverence. Only then does the performance begin to radiate the kind of energy that makes people around the world love his music. I hold his music in the deepest regard. When I play the Partita, I try to convey the composer’s intent. I cherish every moment I bring it to the stage because I feel that I become a bridge between the audience and the music. One day, I hope to perform the entire Partita in its entirety.

SPMH: Creating fantasies on operatic masterpieces, as well as transcriptions of well-known works, is a popular way to expand the instrumental repertoire. How do operatic themes unfold on the harp, specifically in the case of Walter-Kühne’s Fantasy on Themes from Eugene Onegin?
Alyona Solomkina: Eugene Onegin is one of my favorite operas. I have listened to it many times in various theaters and have also performed it as an orchestral musician. Tchaikovsky’s music possesses an extraordinary magnetism and the ability to touch something deeply sentimental in the soul. I first played this Fantasy when I was only in my second year at the college. I was very glad that my teacher, Milda Mikhailovna Agazaryan, supported my initiative to add it to my repertoire, as this piece holds a special place in our class. Ekaterina Adolfovna Walter-Kühne wrote the Fantasy for her student, Ksenia Alexandrovna Erdely. My teacher is a student of Ksenia Alexandrovna. It is in Milda Mikhailovna’s edition that the Fantasy is performed worldwide. Onegin now sounds on the most prestigious concert stages and at the most demanding international competitions. This lineage of generations carries with it a responsibility to live up to the level of the professionals who shaped the performance history of this piece. The Fantasy itself contains only a few themes from the opera, but their arrangement conveys the full dramatic arc of the original. The main section is built on the music from the ball scene at the Larins’ house, where the harp imitates the sound of a full orchestra. The shifting of timbres and characters becomes a challenging task for the performer. The motif of Tatyana also recurs frequently. The harp’s timbre conveys the lyrical mood of the heroine with remarkable precision. The emotional center of the piece is Lensky’s aria “I love you.” In the Fantasy, this aria, filled with youthful passion and innocence, turns into an intimate confession of the character’s feelings. I hope that at the concert, the audience will be able to experience the entire spectrum of emotions this piece holds.

SPMH: Do you plan to continue the tradition of expanding the harp repertoire?
Alyona Solomkina: I have not discovered a talent for composition in myself, but I do hope that I will have the opportunity to create new arrangements for the harp and to inspire young composers to write new works. So if the circumstances come together in the right way, I will be very glad to contribute.

SPMH: he harp in the 21st century — what elements of earlier eras has it preserved or lost, and what has it gained in the modern age?
Alyona Solomkina: In contemporary music, young composers are actively searching for new ways of producing sound. In this regard, the harp is an absolute treasure. Its complex mechanism creates a variety of incidental noises which, in classical music, might be seen as flaws or imperfections — but in modern compositions, these same sounds become expressive tools. Beyond the traditional glissando, where the performer slides a finger across the strings, there are many other techniques for interacting with the instrument. These include glissando using the fingernails, playing near the base or the top of the strings, sliding along a single string, using the pedals to create a glissando, playing harmonics, or even striking the soundboard. All of these techniques produce unique timbres that are difficult or impossible to replicate on other instruments. In this sense, the harp can even resemble a percussion instrument. At the same time, today’s repertoire also maintains a strong connection to classical traditions. Many composers continue to write in the style of earlier periods, which is something I find very encouraging and inspiring.

Interview by Tatyana Mikhaylova