Viktor Tretyakov, one of the world’s greatest violinists, can be called without exaggeration a symbol of the Russian violin school.

In 1966, at the age of 19 he won the first prize in the Third International Tchaikovsky Competition. Since then, Tretyakov has performed with almost every major orchestra in the world, including Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, St. Petersburg, London, Los Angeles, and Munich Philharmonic Orchestras, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberg SO, NDR Hamburg, WDR Cologne, NHK Symphony, the Kirov Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Orhestra of Amsterdam, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, and symphony orchestras of Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and many others.

He has worked with conductors including Rostropovich, Ormandy, Temirkanov, Alekseev, Jochum, Krips, Gergiev, Fedoseyev, Maazel, Kempe, Jansons, Järvi, Levine, Mehta, von Dohnanyi, Penderecki, Previn, and Kondrashin.
Tretyakov’s unique style which is supported by impeccable technique and deep musical insight, created by an expressive phrasing, and his incredible stage energy attract a great number of music lovers all over the world.

An active chamber musician, Tretyakov has performed together with Mstislav Rostropovich, Svyatoslav Richter, the Borodin Quartet, Oleg Kagan, David Geringas, Evgeny Kissin, and Elisabeth Leonskaja. Together with Vassily Lobanov, Yuri Bashmet, and Natalia Gutman, he has formed a piano quartet, in which he performs regularly. Their performances include concerts in Moscow, Berlin, Munich, Istanbul, Paris, Athens, Lisbon, and Copenhagen.

For many years, Viktor Tretyakov was a Professor at the Moscow State Conservatory, continuing the tradition of his legendary teacher, Yury Yankelevich. From 1986 to 1994, he was the jury president of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Additionally, he has served as a jury member of competitions in Brussels, Hanover, Sendai, Moscow, Helsinki, Zagreb, and many others. In 1996, he accepted a teaching position at the University of Cologne, Germany (Musikhochschule Koeln). His notable students include Ilya Kaler, Natalia Likhopoi, Evgeny Bushkov, Sergei Stadler, and Daniel Austrich. From 1983 to 1991 Mr. Tretyakov was an artistic director and conductor of the Russian State Chamber Orchestra.

Viktor Tretyakov was granted the highest awards of Russia: People’s Artist of the USSR; Prize for the encouragement of achievements in art and literature “Triumph”; Shostakovich Prize, awarded by the Yuri Bashmet International Charitable Foundation; the Glinka State Prize, and the Order of Service to the Homeland.

Mr. Tretyakov plays a 1772 Nicolo Gagliano violin.

Natalia Likhopoi was born in Moscow where she received her first violin lessons at the age of six in the class of Professor E.A. Chugaeva where was quickly noticed her outstanding talent. After her first major concert in Russia, she began her studies at the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Prof. Victor Tretyakov, which she completed with the best grades because of her exceptional musicality and brilliant technique.

During her studies, Natalia won numerous awards at major international competitions like the Violin Competition in Tokyo, Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, All-Union Competition in Tallinn / Estonia, Kreisler Competition in Vienna, Trapani Competition in Italy and the Ruggiero Ricci competition in Berlin.

She has toured the United States, South America, Japan and Europe, where her temperament and sophisticated performance the public and critics unanimously praised.