Paula Gorbanova is an award-winning violinist based in London. Having graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tutelage of Professor Jacqueline Ross, she currently leads a dynamic career as a performer and educator.

 

As a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician, Paula is regularly invited to perform with and lead ensembles globally. Recent highlights have included appearances at the Vielklang Festival (Germany), Artematica Festival, and the Uppermill Music Festival. Within the UK,  she has performed at prestigious venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, the Barbican, St James’ Piccadilly, and Southwark Cathedral. She has also performed globally, at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Berlin Konzerthaus – to name but a few.

 

During the 2025/2026, she has performed in collaboration with the Cambridge Camerata Academy with cellist Brian O’Kane, British conductor and keyboardist Douglas Tang, and has upcoming appearances with the London Mozart Players, the Gorbanoff Quartet, and at the Cambridge Summer Music Festival. Her global travels has included concerto work and residencies with leading orchestras such as the Vielklang Festival Orchestra (Germany), Athens Philharmonic Orchestra (Greece), the Master Orchestra (Italy), the Odyssey Festival Orchestra (UK), and the City of London Soloists (UK). As a chamber musician, she has won awards with the Chiarina Quartet, and founded the Gorbanoff Quartet in 2018.

 

Born in Riga, Paula’s musical career began at the Emīls Dārziņš  Music School, which boasts alumni such as Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, and Andris Nelsons. She graduated from Guildhall with distinction and First Class Honours. During her time, she won multiple awards including  the Ivan Sutton Chamber Music Prize and the ULSA Sonderpreis at the Queen Sophie-Charlotte International Violin Competition. She has participated in masterclasses with Nicola Benedetti, Tasmin Little, Friedemann Eichhorn, Tobias Granmo, and Wolfgang Redik. She has also worked with the Chilingirian, Dante, Endellion, and Heath Quartets. Additionally, she has performed under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, Baldur Brönnimann, Vassily Sinaisky, Marin Alsop, and Normunds Vaicis.

 

As an educator and entrepreneur, Paula became an Artist of the Talent Unlimited Charity in 2017, before becoming a Trustee in 2024. She is committed to musical outreach and in giving back to the musical community. She is currently Head of Strings at Wetherby Senior School, for whom she has worked since 2021. She also founded her own music academy, whose students have won competitions and festivals, and have been admitted at leading English institutions such as St Paul’s Girls' School, North London Collegiate School, Dulwich College, James Allen’s Girls' School, King’s College Wimbledon, and Wells Cathedral School. She currently works as a Violin teacher at the Centre for Young Musicians (Guildhall Young Artists), and previously worked at the Blackheath Conservatoire.