My name is Timur Yusupov, and I was born on May 6, 2014. Since May 2025, I have been playing my Gaetano Pollastri violin from the Musical Instrument Fund—a violin I am very happy with.
At the age of six (in 2014), Timur received a 1/8 violin from his sister, and he hasn’t put the instrument down since. He received his first violin lessons from Natalia Gabunia and later from Hans Scheepers. At the age of eight—by which time he was already remarkably advanced for his age—he reached the finals of the Concertgebouw Competition with Sarasate’s “Introduction et Tarantelle.” In this age category, he also won first prizes at the 2023 Charleston International Music Competition, the 2023 Salzburg Grand Prix Virtuoso International Music Competition, and the 2023 New York Golden Classical Music Awards.
At the age of nine, under the guidance of teachers Dmitry Makhtin and Alexandra Fedotova, he was admitted in 2024 as one of the few European children to the Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition.
Timur plays a Gaetano Pollastri violin and a Morizot bow. Timur is a student at the Michiel de Ruyterschool elementary school in Amstelveen. Since the summer of 2024, Timur has been taking lessons from Ilona Sie Dhian Ho and has been accepted into the Academy for Musical Talent. Starting in February 2025, he will study with Chris Duindam.
