In 1995, she moved to Moscow, where she became a student of Professor Edward Gratch in the Central Music School of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

In 2003 she was mentored by one of the greatest musicians of our time, violinist Shlomo Mintz.

Alëna Baeva`s international career started at the age of 10 with a concert at the International Festival in Tours, France.
When she was 12, she won the First Prize and special Virtuoso Prize at the VIIth International Competition in Kloster-Schontal in Germany.

In 2000, she entered the T. Wronski International Solo Violin Competition in Warsaw for violinists under 30. Alena Baeva, despite being the youngest participant, won the First Prize, together with two special prizes for the best interpretation of Sonata by Bach and Chiaccona by Bartok.

In October 2001, at the XII International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poznan, she won the First Prize, the Gold Medal, and nine Special Prizes including the Prize for the Best Performance of a Contemporary Composition.

In 2004, Alëna Baeva won the Grand Prix at the Second Moscow International Paganini Competition. As a result, she was given the use for one year of an Antonio Stradivari violin (1723, “Ex-Wieniawski”) from the Russian State Collection of Unique Musical Instruments, through a special scheme run by the Art of the Violin Foundation in Moscow.

Alëna Baeva`s recitals and performances with orchestras in Russia, Europe, USA, China, Israel, Brazil, France, the UK and other countries are consistently popular with audiences of all ages, and are also received with great critical acclaim.

Alëna Baeva is accompanied on this occasion by the English Classical Players Orchestra, under the baton of its Artistic Director, Jonathan Brett.

Since 1990, the English conductor Jonathan Brett has helped to develop the orchestra into one of the country’s finest, noted for its opulently beautiful tone, and the brilliant virtuosity and exuberance of its performances. Jonathan Brett is also a popular guest conductor with orchestras all over Europe and the USA, conducting a wide range of repertoire from the baroque to the present day.

He still, however, regards the Colosseum in Watford as his favourite concert venue -- virtually his musical "spiritual home" -- as audiences and performers alike appreciate its wonderful acoustics. The Colosseum has been described as being equal to the Musikverein in Vienna for its quality of sound, and is regularly used for live concerts and recordings by the BBC and leading record companies.

The Classic Concerts Trust is a charity whose mission is to bring the joy of live professional music-making at the highest level to the broadest possible spectrum of the people. In these uncertain times, music can help to bring people together and overcome the barrier of language and cultural differences. To this end, ticket prices are kept modest, thanks to the generous support of sponsors such as Senate Consulting and Watford Borough Council. This year, a limited number of free tickets are available for students and unwaged persons under 25, thanks to the valuable assistance of the John Lewis Partnership.

Tickets: Free to £20.  For details of concessions, special "taster" offers, and subscription deals for all six concerts in the season, and to book online: http://www.watfordconcerts.com
Enquiries and bookings: boxoffice@watfordconcerts.com   Tel 01923 888320 .