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Biography
Russian Harpist ELENA MASHKOVSTEVA is known for her impeccable technique, grace, and elegance. She is a soloist, chamber musician, and dedicated teacher.
Ms. Mashkovtseva is a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where she studied with the celebrated harpist Vera Dulova. She was awarded First Prize at the International Competition in Moscow. After graduating, Ms. Mashkovtseva held the principal harp position with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. Since leaving Moscow, she has appeared with the Orquesta de Baja California, Orquesta de Bellas Artes, Orquesta Filarmonica de la UNAM, St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater Orchestra under Valery Gergiev, and the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin under Misha Rachlevsky. Locally, Ms. Mashkovsteva has appeared with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Nova, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, and the Hutchins Consort. As a chamber musician, she appears regularly with Camarada and DUO ELENA with flutist Elena Yarritu.
Ms. Mashkovtseva has served as the acting principal harp with the San Diego Symphony, and the Professor of Harp at San Diego State University. She has her own harp studio in San Diego and have been teaching private lessons for over 35 years. Her students have won many local and national competitions, and have gone on to study at major colleges/conservatories here in the U.S. and abroad. Ms. Mashkovtseva currently serves as Vice-President of the San Diego Harp Society and is a sought-after judge for national competitions.
Recording Highlights
Song of a Bird
Named after the Catalan folk song performed by cellist Pablo Casal’s at his United Nations Peace Prize ceremony in 1971, highlights music by Tchaikowsky, Glinka, Prokofiev, Handel, and Liszt.
MUSIC OF CHINARY UNG, VOL. 1
This recording presents a portrait of the composer Chinary Ung at a crossroads. Between the years 1974-85 Ung composed only one work, the solo string piece Khse Buon, recorded here by the composer's wife, violist Susan Ung. The hiatus was the result of the Cambodian holocaust, in which members of Ung's family were among the millions murdered. During those years, in addition to his compositional studies, Ung was active in the USA as a researcher and documentarian, preserving not only the Cambodian musical heritage, but working to document other cultures of South East Asia and India. As Ung's output grew he quickly achieved considerable success, including the winning of the Grawemeyer Award in 1989 for his orchestral piece, Inner Voices (1986). This recording is the first in a series that will be devoted to Chinary Ung's music.