Having just finished secondary school, Dasha is very excited to be commencing at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in 2019.
Although she started her musical journey on violin at age seven, the more unusual and mysterious allure of the viola led her to take up the instrument towards the end of primary school. Since completing her AMusA on violin in 2017, Dasha has had a greater focus on viola, inspired by her participation in Melbourne Youth Orchestra and Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp.
Highlights of 2018 for Dasha included opportunities to play alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as part of an MYO and MSO side-by-side project, and being invited to perform with the Australian Chamber Orchestra for their Melbourne fundraising event, after involvement in the ACO Academy Program earlier in the year.
Dasha’s partiality to the obscure and esoteric has strengthened her affinity with the viola, as has meeting other like-minded violists. Dasha appreciates the unique inner voice on the viola, relishing its ability to blend with and complement other parts with many interwoven harmonies and counter melodies. This love of harmonies is reflected in her passion for choral music, being especially fond of singing the middle alto parts in choral arrangements.
When at her most confident, Dasha likes to entertain the idea that she may be distantly related to Leopold Auer, tenuous though the link may be. She welcomes any future opportunities to delve into her family tree and uncover her European heritage.