Flutes

Margarita Galkina

In the orchestra since 2024

Margarita graduated from the Moscow Gnessin Special School (college) of Music in 2019 (the class of Zara Parvanyan), and in 2024 graduated with honours from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Department of Historical and Contemporary Performance, the class of Associate Professor Olga Ivusheikova). She is studying in the first year of an assistant internship at the Moscow Conservatory at the Centre for Contemporary Music.

Margarita Galkina is the winner of numerous international and all-Russian competitions, including the 6th All-Russian Symphony Orchestra Artists Competition (2022) and the Stravinsky International Competition (2022, the second prize). She is a finalist of the Flute International Concourse in the Netherlands (2018), a participant of the first round of the 17th Tchaikovsky International Competition. (2023).

She participated in master classes by András Adorján, Walter Auer, Csalog Benedek, Georges Barthel, Felix Renggli, Denis Bouriakov, Trevor Wye, Matthias Ziegler, Alexander Haskin, Denis Lupachev, Pierre-Yves Artaud, Claire Southworth, Rafael Trevisiani, Nikolai Mokhov. She participated in international orchestral festivals in Switzerland (Verbier), Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany.
From 2022 to 2024, she worked as an artist of the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the ‘Moscow Classical Ensemble’ wind quintet. Since 2024 she has been a soloist of the musicAeterna orchestra conducted by Teodor Currentzis.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A MUSICIAN?

No one in my family ever had music training. My parents wanted me to become the first professional musician in our family line. Teachers assured that any child can learn to play the flute. I chose this instrument and never regretted it. Among other things, music has helped me to understand the structure of the universe — it is related to physics, astronomy, arithmetic and other sciences.

The most difficult thing in the profession of a musician is the need to practice a lot. As a child, I wanted to play with friends or go for a walk. I did not realize the importance of constant work until I won my first diplomas at competitions. I enjoyed victories so much that I started a notebook to write down how many hours a day I devoted to music.

Planners and diaries help me get rid of the chaos in my head and act on a large scale. I make notes about the goals I want to achieve — and then forget about it. After a while I reread them and realize that everything has come true. Maybe my notebook is magical, but I guess the point is in the ability to structure thoughts.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Diligent colleagues inspire me: watching them makes me want to work harder and harder. I realized this when I entered the Gnessin Moscow Special School of Music. Sometimes it seemed that my classmates did not go home at all and practiced day and night. Then I realized that I was in my proper place and I wanted to make music my profession.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

At the moment my dream is to record an album with works for flute from different eras and genres. It is important for me to create a tangible object that can be passed on to family and friends. I am moving towards the goal gradually: in my free time I participate in studio recordings — both solo and in various ensembles.

WHAT OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO MASTER?

A large number of flute varieties are used in music. I want to master all of them. Now I play the baroque and romantic flute, piccolo and alto flute. As a child, I dreamed of mastering the cello and harp, but then I realized the potential of working with my instrument and focused on it.

Flautists usually associate themselves with Orpheus, but I like another myth. I love the story of how the pan flute appeared: the Ancient Greek god Pan fell in love with a maiden, but she rejected him and turned into a reed. Pan made a flute out of this plant and performed sad music in memory of his beloved. I associate myself with that flute maiden: I tune in with the instrument and communicate my feelings.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

In my free time, I do sports and dance: hip-hop, afro, high heels. Dancing helps you focus on your own bodily sensations and recharge after work.