Okunev Music

Anna

Anna Okunev

Russian born, Anna Okunev started playing violin at the age of five. After migrating to Australia, Anna continued her music education through the Young Musicians’ Program at the Australian Institute of Music and as a scholarship student at the Methodist Ladies College. It was during this time that Anna received her Associate Diploma in Music and soon after, her Licentiate Diploma in Music. Anna then went on to complete her Bachelor of Music, majoring in performance at the Australian Institute of Music. Anna’s teachers included Sophie Rowell (Australian String Quartet) Robin Wilson and Charmain Gadd. In 2006, Anna received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Medowmount School of Music in New York, where she studied violin with Professor Gerardo Ribeiro of the Northwestern University in Chicago and chamber music with Patricia McCarty of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Anna has toured nationally and abroad with the Sydney Youth Orchestra the Australian Youth Orchestra, and since then has done session work with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, the Eminence Orchestra and the Sydney International Orchestra. Some credits include film soundtrack recordings for Australia and Mao’s Last Dancer, Australian Idol, First and Second World Aids Day concerts, Eric Idle’s: Not the Messiah and Antony and the Johnsons Symphony Tour.

Anna has had the pleasure of working with many well known Australian and overseas artists. In 2008, Anna toured with Kanye West as part of his Good Vibrations Tour. Other artists include, Alan Cumming, Lance Horne, Liza Minelli, Michael Buble, Todd Mckenny, Rhonda Birchmore, Jimmy Barnes and Phil Stack (Thirsty Merc).

In 2009, Anna attended the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop where she participated in string masterclasses and theory workshops with David Baker. That same year, Anna had the great pleasure of being a guest violinist on Alan Cumming’s debut album I Bought A Blue Car Today, recorded in New York’s Yellow Sound Lab.

Anna is currently completing a Bachelor of Music in Jazz performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the guidance of Dale Barlow, Craig Scott and Kevin Hunt.

Anna also teaches jazz violin at Jazz Workshop Australia in St. Leonard’s and classical violin at Trinity Grammar Preparatory School in Strathfield.

Anna plays with Marianna Ensemble, L.I.E. and The Anna Okunev Quintet.