EUGENIA ALIKHANOVA, 1st Violin
Eugenia Alikhanova was born in Moscow, into a family with rich musical traditions. Her mother, Slava Roshal, was a famous Russian violinist. Sadly, she is not well-known in the west, as she was married to the brilliant (and therefore secreted into the recesses of Western history) Russian physic, Abram Alikhanov. Eugenia’s older brother, Tigran, went on in life to become a famous pianist, teacher and professor of the Moscow Conservatory.

Ms. Alikhanova was a student of the great Russian teacher Yuri Yankelevich, the mentor of many astounding violinists such as Nelli Shkolnikova, Vladimir Spivakov, Victor Tretiakov, Mikhail Kopelman, and others of their caliber.

She finished at the Central Music School and the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Y. Yankelevich. Even during the years of her own education at the conservatory, Eugenia was teaching. She worked as an assistant to Y. Yankelevich at CMS, and later taught at the Ippolitov-Ivanov Music College and the Gnessin Musical Institute in Moscow.

E. Alikhanova is the founder and the first violinist of the Moscow String Quartet, which was founded in 1975. Aside from the quartet, however, Eugenia has also played in various other chamber ensembles, and has also performed often as a soloist. She performs on a Guarneri del Gesù violin circa 1736.

Since 1991, Eugenia and her son Andrew, a clarinetist, have been living in Colorado. Eugenia’s favorite pastimes, aside from music, are her beloved dog Tosha and, when she has time free from the quartet and her private violin students, she enjoys hiking and gathering mushrooms in the mountains.

GALINA KOKHANOVSKAIA, 2nd Violin
Galina Kokhanovskaia, second violin, was born in Moscow and began to study the violin at the age of five years. After finishing the Gnessin Musical School for musically gifted children, she entered the Moscow Gnessin Musical and Pedagogical University into the class of Professor Leonid Polies, who was one of the founders of the Music Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Rudolf Barshai. This wonderful teacher, one of the top masters of the Russian violin and chamber ensemble school, molded the performance style of G. Kokhanovskaia.

Being one of the top students in the class of Professor Berlinsky, the founder of the Borodin Quartet, G. Kokhanovskaia, after graduation gained a job as a violinist in the orchestra of the famous Bolshoi Theatre, and soon became the principal in the second violin section. While working at the Bolshoi Theatre, G. Kokhanovskaia also continued to play often with assorted chamber ensembles with great enjoyment.

The professional career of G. Kokhanovskaia was continued in the Moscow String Quartet, a member of which ensemble she is at present. Since joining the ensemble in 1997, she has participated in all the activities and tours of the Moscow String Quartet.

She has performed in several major cities of Europe, the U.S.A. and Asia, such as Amsterdam, London, Paris, New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, and many others.

G. Kokhanovskaia performs on a 1698 Stradivarius violin.

TATIANA KOKHANOVSKAIA, Viola
Tatiana Kokhanovskaia, violist, was born in Moscow and began her musical education at the age of five. After finishing the Gnessin Musical School for musically gifted children, she entered the Moscow Gnessin Musical and Pedagogical University into the class of Professor Genrih Talalyan, the violist of the renowned Komitas Quartet. In the class of this distinguished professor, a brilliant representative of the Russian school, T. Kokhanovskaia’s love for chamber music developed, a love that would become the determining factor in the future of this musician. This love brought T. Kokhanovskaia into the class of the legendary Russian musician Valentin Berlinsky, the founder of one of the most celebrated ensembles of Russia, the Borodin Quartet.

After completing her studies at the university, T. Kokhanovskaia became a faculty member of the chamber music department and assistant to Professor Berlinsky there. The Moscow String Quartet was founded at this time.

After victories at two international competitions, the Moscow String Quartet began intensive concretizing all over the world. As a member of this ensemble, T. Kokhanovskaia has performed in the finest halls of Europe, including Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall and the Royal Festival Hall in London, as well as in major musical centers in the U.S., including New York, Detroit, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

T. Kokhanovskaia performs on a 1793 viola of the Italian master Decanetti.

OLGA OGRANOVITCH, Cello
Olga Ogranovitch, cellist, was born in Moscow. From her earliest childhood, she dreamed to become a world-famous singer. However, when she was accepted into musical school, it was into the cello class. From that point on, the young Olga played many concerts, both in chamber ensembles and as a soloist. Her talent was recognized at ten years of age at a competition of young cello players in Moscow, where she became the laureate of the fist place prize.

She furthered her education in the Ippolitov-Ivanov Music College under the direction of the wonderful teacher Tatiana Dikhtiar, who had been a student of Mstislav Rostropovich.

Olga considers the years spent in the Musical Gnessin Institute under the tutelage of the renowned Professor Valentin Berlinsky to be some of the most important and wonderful in the development of her musical career. This professor, besides being a brilliant teacher, is also a celebrated cellist and chamber musician, as well as one of the founders of the prominent Borodin Quartet. In the time spent in his class, Olga’s style formulated into that of a mature musician. While a student of the institute, Olga participated in the All-Russia competition of cellists and became a laureate of this competition as well.

In 1981, Olga joined the Moscow String Quartet, the ensemble that has become an intrinsic part of her life, and the one she performs with to this day. In 1988, she acquired a fantastic instrument, a Sanctus Seraphin cello of the year 1723. She has played on this beloved instrument since.

Olga, her husband Mikhail, and their daughter Maya have been living in Colorado since 1991. Olga’s favorite activities include travel, astrology, and hunting mushrooms in the mountains surrounding Denver.