As a viola player, she is remarkable for her uniquely vivid manner of playing, both as a soloist and as a troupe member. Irina is particularly renowned for her viola d’amore performances.

Since 2007, Irina has been a soloist and concertmaster of the viola group at E. Grach’s “Moskovia” chamber orchestra. Since 2011, she has been the second concertmaster of the viola group at the Russian National Orchestra (directed and conducted by Mikhail Pletnev). Since 2015, Irina has been a soloist at the musicAeterna orchestra (directed and conducted by Teodor Currentzis). She frequently works with such troupes as “Old Music Academy”, “Opus Posth”, “Pocket Symphony”, MCME, “Questa Musica”, “Madrigal” and “PerSymphAns”.

In 2010, Irina won the second prize at the VIth International Viola Competition held by Yuri Bashmet in moscow; at the same event, she got the special award in honour of Oleg Kagan. Since then, she has been playing instruments by Jon van Kouwenhoven: one was given to her by the Yuri Bashmet Viola Foundation (Kronberg) in 2011 and another one was a personal gift to her from the luthier in 2014.

Irina Sopova has shared the stage with numerous outstanding musicians of our time: pianists M. Muntian, Z. Chochieva, E. Brakhman, M. Tretyakova, V. Nepomnyashaya, A. Shaikin; violinists T. Grindenko, N. Borisoglebskiy, N. Kozhukhar, A. Pritchin, E. Korzhenevich, G. Kazazian, K. Shakhgaldian; cellists E. Rumyantsev, S. Suvorov, P. Kondrashin.

As a soloist, Irina Sopova has performed with such ensembles as the “New Russia” symphonic orchestra, the “Soloists of Moscow” chamber orchestra, the Moscow State Philharmonic symphonic orchestra, the “Musica Viva” chamber orchestra, E. Grach’s “Moskovia” chamber orchestra and many others. She has received standing ovations all around the world: in Japan, Ecuador, Colombia, the USA, Myanmar, South Korea, Italy, France and russia (from Karelia to Vladivostok).