Masha Lakisova: A Professional Violinist Who Plays Around the Globe, and Maybe near You!
by Tirzah Hopkins
Masha Lakisova is an eighteen year old senior here at NorthStar Academy. She lives in Vernon Hills, Illinois, which is north of Chicago. She’s a professional violinist and plays at concerts and competitions all over the world. She’s played at many places in the US, but she’s also played in Belarus, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, and China. When this article was written, she was in Lithuania. She has been playing the violin since she was five years old.
Masha loves to play many songs. When asked what her favorite was, she said that her teacher once said that his favorite song to play is the one he’s playing that moment, because if he didn’t want to be playing it he wouldn’t be. Masha said it’s the same for her. But one song that she’s really enjoyed recently is called Carmen Fantaisie by Hubay.
One of her favorite places she’s played in was Jordan Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. She was thirteen years old at the time and was playing for a radio show. She said the hall was really gorgeous and it was one of those places that you didn’t even have to try to play in. Another one of her favorite places she’s been to was Switzerland. Besides the country being the most beautiful country she’d ever been in, the people at the competition she was playing in were very nice and the jury and judges were very supportive. The other competitors were also very kind. Another place she really enjoyed playing in was when she went to Minsk, Belarus. This was very special to her because it was where her parents were from and she had a lot of family still there, they all went to her concert.
When asked how she had gotten to where she was as a musician, Masha said, “When you’re actively trying to become a musician, there are some things you look out for. You apply to music competitions and music festivals. The world gets smaller as you go on, you see the same people, like friends and other colleagues, and older musicians that are your teachers and mentors. A lot of opportunities come from connections. When someone sees you playing and likes it, they’ll invite you to play for them or tell others about you. Opportunities also come from winning competitions. Often there are money and competition prizes and people hear about you. It was a tough journey, you need to do your best, and sometimes I felt like I wasn’t good enough to be really good. Sometimes I thought I should make music a side thing and focus my attention somewhere else. But my parents and teachers saw that I wouldn’t be satisfied going for something partially, it was 100% or nothing.”
If you’re going to be really good at music, you have to want it and love what you do. This was true for Masha, just like it’s true for everyone. She didn’t really start loving it until she was fourteen, when she had an amazing playing experience.
Masha’s first time playing in public was when she was nine and she did a small, local music competition, which she got first place in. For a while, it was small, local things, and then more in the US. Her first time playing abroad was when she was twelve and went to Germany.
Masha Lakisova’s journey with music has a lesson for us all. That is: start small, be patient, work hard, and eventually you’ll move on to bigger and grander things.
Tirzah Hopkins has been at NSA for about two years. She lives in Indiana, USA with eight of her eleven siblings and mom and dad. She has recently started writing for the Navigator. She enjoys spending time with family, hiking, karate, writing, and playing with babies.