Sophia Strings

Sophia Strings is a flexible string ensemble based in Darlington available for your special event. In recent years we have delighted clients at weddings, garden parties, birthday parties etc. We can offer string duos, trios, quartets and larger groups, to suit every budget and occasion. We offer a mix of popular classical music, light music and arrangements of popular melodies from films, musicals etc. We can often source or arrange your favourite songs if they are not already in our repertoire. Professional Ukrainian violinists Kostia and Iryna founded Sophia Strings in 2017 when they came to the UK. Although Kostia and Iryna spoke very little English, a shared love of music overcame the language barrier and they were soon performing with English musicians Jill and Penny at community events in and around our hometowns of Darlington and Richmond (North Yorkshire). Kostia and Iryna studied violin at the prestigious Kyiv Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Ukraine. They both played in the Ukraine National Opera orchestra, with internationally renowned musicians and singers in the elegant Kyiv Opera House. Kostia also played in the Ukraine Chamber Orchestra as an orchestral musician and soloist. He established and led the Baturyn Treasury Orchestra. While playing in the Kyiv Opera House, Kostia established and led a small string orchestra ('Baturyn Treasury') which played at corporate events, weddings, films etc. He also made a number of quartet recordings. Since coming to the UK, Kostia has played the violin solo part in Scheherezade with the Richmondshire Orchestra, as well as Vivaldi's 'Summer' concerto in an arrangement for the quartet. Besides playing in the Kyiv Opera Orchestra and various chamber music groups, Iryna has a strong interest in Ukrainian traditional music. She has made her own arrangements of traditional Ukrainian folk songs and popular melodies for Sophia Strings. We sometimes play with Iryna's daughter Sophia who is a talented singer studying at the Royal College of Music - she is able to sing light opera, songs from musicals as well as Ukrainian folk music.