About Yana
II’m Yana, a professional violinist whose journey with music began in Ukraine.
I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from a prestigious Music Academy, where I received my professional musical education. Since then, my career has taken me to different countries and many different stages, performing in concerts, shows and a wide variety of events.
One of the most interesting chapters of my career was spending several years performing with different cruise lines. I was part of various shows and had the opportunity to perform for people from all over the world.
Working with such different audiences taught me a lot about being an entertainer. You can be technically prepared, have your music ready and know exactly what you are going to play — and then the audience, the atmosphere or the occasion gives you a completely different idea! Learning to read the room and understand what people enjoy has become a very important part of performing for me.
Over the years, I’ve also learned that being a musician is about much more than simply playing the violin. It is about adapting to different situations, working with other people, being prepared and, most importantly, enjoying the connection that happens when music is performed live.
Today, I’m based in Brisbane and continue doing what I enjoy most — performing for people and being part of their important occasions.
Every event is different, and that is what keeps the job interesting. After all these years, I still get excited before a performance, still discover new music, and still occasionally wonder why I agreed to carry a violin, sound equipment and a dress into a venue with three flights of stairs!
Thank you for stopping by and getting to know a little more about the person behind the violin.
A Few Fun Facts About Me 😉
🐾 I absolutely love animals. I can walk past a dog or cat in the street and completely lose track of where I was going. If they want a pat, everything else can wait.
☕ Coffee and I have a very healthy relationship. I don’t need coffee before every performance… but I strongly believe in keeping the relationship alive.
🎶 I can hear a song once and immediately start thinking about how it would sound on violin. It’s either a useful professional skill or a slightly annoying condition. I haven’t decided yet.
🧳 I’ve spent years performing on cruise ships, so I’ve learned a few important things: how to perform when you’re tired, how to smile when someone requests the same song for the third time, and how quickly musicians can become experts at finding snacks backstage.
👠 High heels and violin cases are not natural friends. Add a long dress, stairs and an outdoor venue, and suddenly getting to the stage becomes part of the performance.
🎼 I love learning new songs, but I have learned not to say, “Oh, that will be easy!” too quickly. Sometimes a three-minute song can turn into several hours of work. The violin has a sense of humour too.
🌍 After performing for people from many different countries, I’ve learned that music really is universal. The funny thing is, no matter where I perform, there always seems to be someone asking for the same song! 😄
🎻 People sometimes ask if playing the violin gets boring after 25+ years. Not really. There are too many songs, too many people and too many occasions where someone says, “Can you play this one?” to let that happen.
