Sofiya Levchenko (violin, viola)

Sofiya Levchenko is a violinist whose performances span solo, chamber, and orchestral repertoire, shaped by early training in Uzbekistan and advanced study in the United States. She currently serves as concertmaster of the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra and the Mount Vernon Virtuosi.

Her performing journey began at the age of 14, when she made her solo debut with the Young Talents of Uzbekistan orchestra. Since then, she has performed concertos and virtuosic works by Mendelssohn, Paganini, Sarasate, Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, Massenet, and Vivaldi with leading orchestras in Uzbekistan, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the State Conservatory Orchestra, and the Turkiston Chamber Orchestra. These appearances helped establish her as a confident and expressive interpreter of Romantic repertoire. More recently, she was featured in performances of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Chausson’s Poème with the Wilmington Community Orchestra, and performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante as part of an educational residency in White Plains, New York.

In parallel with her solo career, Sofiya is an active chamber musician. Her recent chamber music appearances include the Emerson Legacy Concert Series, the Starry Night Concert Series, and the Baroque Players at Stony Brook. Alongside that, she finds contemporary music just as essential as performing classical masterpieces. She has premiered works by American composers through her multi-season involvement with the Contemporary Chamber Players, and was a core member of OMNIBUS Ensemble, Central Asia’s first contemporary music group. Her work with OMNIBUS led to a close collaboration with composer Jakhongir Shukur, resulting in a series of solo violin pieces that combine traditional Uzbek elements with modern techniques. Their partnership was recently featured at the Hellerau Festival in Dresden as part of the Future Tradition Orchestra.

As an educator, Sofiya brings over a decade of experience teaching students of all levels—from beginners to conservatory musicians. She is currently on faculty at Kinhaven Music School and has held teaching assistantships at Stony Brook University and Michigan State University. Her teaching draws on the technical foundation of the Soviet school while adapting to the goals and strengths of each student.

She has led masterclasses in the U.S. and Central Asia, served as a competition juror, and participated in outreach programs for children with special needs, public schools, and underserved communities. Sofiya holds a Bachelor’s degree from the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, a Performance Diploma and Master’s degree from Michigan State University, and is completing her Doctor of Musical Arts at Stony Brook University.