Birgit Katriin Born

Estonian violinist Birgit Katriin Born (1999) started taking violin lessons at the age of 6 in Tallinn. In 2022, she graduated from the Royal College of Music in London with a First Class Honours of Bachelor’s degree and in 2024, with a Master’s degree in prof. Pavel Berman’s class at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Lugano. She also studied at the Accademia Perosi in Italy with prof. Eva Bindere. Being interested in many different musical genres, she has worked together with numerous world-known musicians, from Steven Isserlis and Maxim Vengerov to Brian Eno and Max Raabe among others. She has also taken masterclasses with leading violin professors, like Mauricio Fuks, Kolja Blacher, Florian Donderer, etc. Birgit is a current member of the Estonian Festival Orchestra, directed by Paavo Järvi, and is often asked to play with orchestras all over Europe, like Lapland Chamber Orchestra, Spira Mirabilis, Orchestra della Svizzera italiana and many more. She has also been invited to play as guest concertmaster of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra multiple times. In 2018, Birgit had the opportunity to perform in Buckingham Palace for His Royal Highness Prince Edward. In 2019–2022, she was also a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra. The orchestra tours have taken her to perform in the biggest halls in Europe, including the Elbphilharmonie, Berlin Philharmonie and Tonhalle Zürich. In December 2023, Birgit received the first scholarship named after conductor Olari Elts. She has also been supported by the Lyra Stiftung and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and received the Swiss Government Excellency Scholarship for the 2023/2024 academic year. Since 2024 summer, Birgit plays on a Nicola and Giuseppe Gagliano violin and Victor Fétique bow kindly loaned by Aare Kaarma and the Estonian Foundation of Musical Instruments. From October 2024, Birgit will start playing as an academist in the Budapest Festival Orchestra.