Matvey Lapin, 2nd violin

Violinist Matvey Lapin was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1969. At the age of 6, he received his first violin lessons from Elena Zaitzeva. By the time he was 12 years old, he had already given his first public performance in the St. Petersburg Cappella Hall.

In 1982, Matvey won first prize at the All-National Technique Competition. Then in 1984, he entered the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory where he graduated (summa cum laude in 1990. From 1991-1996, he studied privately with Antonina Kasarina at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory, where he is currently completing his doctorate degree.

From 1991- 2001, Matvey was a member of the St. Petersburg Camerata, the official orchestra of the State Hermitage Museum, where from 1995 to present, he also served as concertmaster. With the Camerata, he performed in many prestigious concert halls in Europe, Japan and Korea, often as a soloist.
In 1995, Matvey won third price at the International Competition (Locatelli Concourse in Amsterdam, and in 1996 he was awarded a grant from the Gartov Foundation, which allowed him to study at the Niedersachsen Summer Academy and tour Germany as a member of a St. Petersburg Conservatory Trio.

From 1995-2000, he studied with several renowned violin teachers in Europe including Maria Leonhart, Viktor Liberman, Eberhard Feltz, Tomas Brandis, Jacques Gesthem and Herman Krebbers. Matvey also attended the Holland Music Sessions.

Since then, Matvey has performed regularly with groups such as eNsemble (representing the St. Petersburg Foundation for Art and Culture), the St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra, and Laterna Magica, a renowned early music ensemble. In 1992 he created his own ensemble (Glissando with Kirov Opera orchestra soloist and harpist Olga Shevelevich.

Matvey Lapin is a founding member and first violinist of the Academia String Quartet.