The internationally-acclaimed violinist Rimma Sushanskaya was the last pupil of David Oistrakh, with whom she studied at Moscow Conservatoire, and under whose tutelage she won many prestigious awards.  Upon leaving the Soviet Union, she rapidly established a glowing reputation in the west; the Washington Post described her as “one of the greatest violinists alive today,” and commented on her “extraordinary intensity and brilliant virtuosity.”

Rimma Sushanskaya has embarked on a successful career in conducting. In recent years, she has performed as a conductor in concert halls in an ever-growing list of countries including Germany, Russia, Israel, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Switzerland, China and the United Kingdom.  She has been enjoying successful performances and re-engagements in prestigious venues such as Gewandhaus, Leipzig; Philharmonic Hall and Konzerthaus, both in Berlin; Philharmonic Hall, Kharkov; Tonhalle, Zurich.

Among the orchestras conducted by Rimma Sushanskaya are: Berlin Sinfonetta; Neues Sinfonia Orchestra, Berlin; Leipzig Chamber Orchestra; Kharkov Philharmonic; St. Petersburg State Orchestra; State Philharmonic of Satu-Mare, Romania; and Orchestra of the Swan, UK.

She made her highly acclaimed London debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at Cadogan Hall in 2017, conducting Pictures at an Exhibition and La Valse.  Among the many important orchestral works in Dr Sushanskaya’s repertoire, the following are to be noted:  Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “Choral”; Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2, E minor; Mozart’s Requiem, D minor; Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, G major; and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.

Following in the traditions of her own legendary teacher, Rimma has always been deeply committed to passing on her knowledge and experience to younger generations. She has been a sought-after professor at Birmingham Conservatoire, and for many years her Virtuoso Violin Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon - her home in England - attracted string students of the highest calibre from the UK and abroad.