Olga Jegunova

Career

After studying music at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, she obtained her M.Mus at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. This was followed by studying at the Royal College of Music (Artist Diploma course as an RCM scholar under Dmitri Alexeev) and then at the Royal Northern College of Music where her piano teacher was Norma Fisher.

Jegunova has taken part in numerous master classes with eminent pianists such as Andras Schiff at the Prussian Cove International Musicians Seminar, an annual event, Ferenc Rados, Eliso Virsaladze, Mikhail Voskresensky, Benjamin Zander and Lazar Berman. As a soloist she has worked with conductors such as Saulius Sondeckis, Alexander Soddy, Andres Mustonen, Muhai Tang and appeared with ensembles and orchestras such as the Sinfonia Concertante, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Pasdeloup Orchestra and Manchester Camerata.

Jegunova studied at the Samling Academy in the UK in 2013.

Jegunova was accepted by Steinway pianos as a Steinway Artist on 25 April 2016.

Jegunova won the Ginette Gaubert competition in Paris and the Steinway-Förderpreis in Hamburg. She won the Steinway Award in 2008.

In 2013, Jegunova gave a recital at the Edinburgh International Festival. Christopher Lambton wrote "Rarely does one come across a young musician who understands as completely as Olga Jegunova what it is to perform. Her technical ability is allied to a composure and charm that entranced her audience."

On December 2, 2015, Jegunova launched a charity called OlgaRhythm which aims to support talented music students of any age and ability.

Collaborations

Jegunova has worked with Alina Garcial-Puerta. Jegunova played the piano with the soprano Kirstin Sharpin to re-create the "Last Song" originally sung by Mercedes. She has also worked with the story teller Jan Blake on the Peter and the Wolf performance for children.

She played the piano in the "Noureev & Friends" concert performance in the Palais Des Congrès in Paris in 2013.

Jegunova played for the Latvian Presidency's annual Burns Supper in Brussels. She also played before HRH Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands. She has also played at the Latvian Day Celebration Concert in the Westminster Cathedral Hall in 2015 in the presence of the Latvian Ambassador, Andris Teikmanis and was chosen to take part in the Baltic Stars Ensemble, a concert organised by the City Music Society of London.

Jegunova was invited to work as a presenter at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, where she interviewed Vadim Repin violinist and member of the jury and Maxim Vengerov. She also broadcast live interviews with well-known pianists at this competition.

Since 2009, Jegunova has worked as a performer for Live Music Now, a charity providing live music in the concert hall as well as in the welfare, educational, justice and health sectors. She teaches piano to students of Queen Mary University of London.