Ilya Isakovich

Violin

Chair sponsored by anonymous donors and Colin Golvan AM KC & Dr Debbie Golvan

Ilya Isakovich was born in Krivoy Rog, Ukraine. He started playing the violin at the age of six in the city school of music and in 1991 graduated performing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Dnepropetrovsk Symphony Orchestra.

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After emigrating to Israel in 1991, Ilya started to study at the Jerusalem Conservatory of Music with Professor Moshe Girshovitch. In 1995 he graduated from the Conservatory and started his military service in the IDF Chamber Orchestra. In 1997 he began his studies with Professor Gennady Kogan.

From 1994 until 2000 Ilya played in the Young Israel Philharmonic taking the concertmaster position from 1996. During 1999 and 2000 Ilya was the concertmaster of the West-Eastern Divan Workshop Orchestra in Weimar under the baton of Daniel Barenboim.

During the 1999 season Ilya took the position of concertmaster of the Israeli Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra and in 2000 he was accepted into the first violin section of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in which he worked until 2004.

In 2004 Ilya started his Australian life with the ACO. Ilya plays a 1590 Brothers Amati violin on loan from the ACO Instrument Fund.

Joy & Purpose: Interview with Ilya Isakovich

For violinist Ilya Isakovich, joining the Australian Chamber Orchestra was the hardest decision of his life. Twenty years on, he says it was also his best.