While in the USSR, she often performed as soloist with top-level chamber orchestras ("Moscow Virtuosos" with Vladimir Spivakov, as well as with the "Moscow Soloists") and with several symphony orchestras. She had for some time the position of a permanently engaged soloist of the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra.

During the Soviet era, however, political reasons made it impossible for Ms. Lev to pursue an international concert career.

Lara Lev has earned a reputation as a fine virtuoso, but she also has some even more rare traits. She has always had a special interest in seldom-heard, unjustly neglected masterpieces, as well as in new music. Already while in the USSR, she took an active part in the "Sojuz Kompositorov" society for contemporary music, giving first performances of several new works.

Since becoming Finnish Citizen in the 1990's, she increasingly performs in Finland with several symphony and chamber orchestras. In her recitals, besides performing large cycles of the standard repertoire such as the complete Beethoven sonatas, Ms. Lev has continued to pursue her innovative repertory policy also while working in Finland. Together with Pianist Matti Raekallio she has done, for instance, several recordings for the Finnish Broadcasting Company, featuring rarely played major works for violin and piano.

Her repertory preferences are reflected also in her concerto list. It includes works that merit hearing much more often than they get, such as the concerti by Busoni or Pfitzner. Also, since her move to Finland, Ms. Lev has acquired a representative amount of Finnish contemporary Violin Concertos in her continually expanding repertoire.

Her recent performances elsewhere in Europe include recitals in Berlin, Vienna, Oslo, etc. Ms. Lev's recording of the Complete Solo Violin Music of J.S.Bach was published in 2002 as a 2-CD set by Warner Classics. In 2004, it was followed by the publication of a CD of the Complete Violin-Piano Sonatas by Ferruccio Busoni, also by Warner Classics. The pianist was Matti Raekallio. In 2004, Ms. Lev began to collaborate with pianist Cyprien Katsaris; their first joint recital was played in the Tampere Concert hall, March 2004.

Ms. Lev has been active in pedagogical work all through her career. She has held teaching positions in Moscow, Odessa, and Finland, as well as giving master classes both in her home country and abroad.

Concerto Repertoire

• Vivaldi: The Seasons
• Bach: a-minor, E-Major; Double Concerto
• Mozart: all five Concertos
• Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Triple Conerto
• Mendelssohn
• Brahms: Violin Concerto, Double Concerto vl+vcl
• Sibelius
• Bruch
• Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole
• Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto #3
• Paganini: 1, 2, 4
• Tchaikovsky
• Glazunov
• Arensky
• Gliére
• Britten
• Elgar
• Busoni
• Pfitzner
• Bartók
• Szymanowsky #1,2
• Hartmann: Concerto funebre
• Hindemith: Kammermusik (Violin Concerto) #4
• Berg
• Schönberg
• Vainberg
• Mjaskovsky
• Prokofiev # 1,2
• Shostakovitch # 1,2
• Shnittke #1, 2, 3, 4
• Rautavaara
• Englund
• Aarre Merikanto: viulukonsertto (Violin Concerto) #2

Contact details and further information

E-mail Lara Lev