Olga Shishkina was born in 1985 in St.Petersburg, Russia. From 1992 until 2000 she studied gusli, piano, balalaika and guitar at the Andreev School of Music and graduated from it with a diploma with honours. In 2003 she entered the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatoire of St.Petersburg where she studied gusli as a main instrument, but also organ and piano. In June 2008 Olga graduated with honours from the Conservatoire.Olga is a winner of numerous prestigious competitions, among them the International Youth Andreev Competition (1996, 1998, 2000, St. Petersburg) and the 6th All-Russian Competition (2001, Tver) where she became the youngest winner in the competition’s history.
During her musical career she has been awarded many grants, among them are special grant from the Russian Ministry of Culture, grant from "New Names" foundation directed by Vladimir Spivakov and other.Olga performs a lot with her concerts in Russia and abroad participating in different festivals such as Kaustinen Folk Music Festival (Finland, 2007), Kihaus Folk Music Festival (Finland, 2007), Clare College Music Society Russian Music Festival (England, 2005), Cambridge Summer Music festival (England, 2004), 9th Kokle International Music Festival (Riga, 2004), Aberdeen International Youth Festival (Scotland, 2003), Haapavesi Folk Music Festival (Finland, 2002), Vesannon Music Festival (Finland, 2001).Olga has performed with a number of well known Russian folk orchestras, 2 symphony and 2 Swedish orchestras. She also participated twice in one of the world renowned Mariinsky theatre settings, having played the Gusli part in the Rimsky-Korsakov opera “The Legend of the invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniaâ€.She has written a lot of arrangements for gusli and other instruments which form the main part of her repertoire.
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