Masha Lakisova

Biography supplied for the 2026 competition.

Praised for her “sensitive musicianship and communication” (The Strad), violinist Masha Lakisova is distinguishing herself as one of the unique voices of her generation. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras worldwide and has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, and Alice Tully Hall. She is winner of the New England Conservatory Concerto Competition and the World’s Biggest Stage Competition, and has taken top prizes at the Stulberg, Klein, Fischoff, and Tibor Junior International Competitions. An avid chamber musician, Masha has appeared at festivals including the Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Four Seasons, Norfolk, and North Shore Chamber Music Festival. She has collaborated with many esteemed artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Miriam Fried, Marcy Rosen, Kim Kashkashian, and the Borromeo and Ariel Quartets. Masha received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from New England Conservatory, under the guidance of Miriam Fried. Prior to coming to NEC, she attended Juilliard Pre-College, the Perlman Music Program, and Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. Her primary teachers in her formative years included Itzhak Perlman, Li Lin, Grigory Kalinovsky, Drew Lecher, and Larisa Zhizhin. Masha is passionate about fostering a deep love and appreciation for music in the next generation and currently serves as Violin Faculty and Chamber Music Faculty at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Miss Lakisova is the proud recipient of a magnificent violin by Giovanni Francesco Pressenda, Turin, 1845 on loan from The Stradivari Society of Chicago thanks to the generosity of her patron, Edward Manzo.