My Weekend: 'After a busy week, I usually prefer a quiet Friday night'

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work:

I am Yevlaliia Yershova. I grew up in Ukraine and began playing the violin at the age of four. I studied at the renowned Stolyarsky Lyceum in Odesa, and in 2022 I moved to Ireland with my family.

Music has always been a very important part of my life and my family. Before moving, I performed violin duets with my older sister Kseniia, and after arriving in Ireland we began performing as a quintet with Kseniia and my younger sisters Olena and Nataliia on violins, and Sofiia on cello.

Together, we have performed in many concerts across Ireland, sharing not only classical music but also a mix of Irish and Ukrainian traditional music.

At the moment, I am in my second year of a Bachelor of Music degree at MTU Cork School of Music, where I study with Katherine Hunka.

Throughout my musical journey, a major focus has been performing and taking part in competitions in Ukraine, Ireland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

Along the way, I have been awarded first place in the Senior Concerto Competition, the Advanced and Senior Recital Competitions at the Cork School of Music, as well as the Aileen Gore Cup 2025 at Feis Ceoil.

I have also had the amazing opportunity to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra at the National Concert Hall as part of a masterclass with the outstanding violinist Maxim Vengerov.

Another very important part of my life is chamber music.

I am a member of the Olympia Quartet, which was formed in 2024. Since then, we have performed regularly at venues across Ireland and took part in the West Cork Chamber Music Festival 2025. This was a very special and motivating experience for us, and we are excited to return to the festival again this year.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

I usually prefer a quiet Friday night with nice food and a TV show.

Lie ins or up with the lark... which is it for you?

Definitely lie ins, whenever I get the chance. I really love to sleep.

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

Yes, practice is part of my weekend, but it’s usually more relaxed than during the week. I still do a few sessions, but I take longer breaks between since I have more time. At the same time I love getting a lot of work done, trying to get through as many pieces and technical work during the weekends, so that I don’t feel too overwhelmed during the week.

If money was no object, where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

I would love to go to London with my best friends from my quartet. Many world-known violinists and string quartets come to perform there, so it would be nice to spend the weekend just going to concerts in different halls, talking about the performances and just enjoying the city.

Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?

I enjoy going for long walks in a countryside with my sister when I’m in Kerry with my family. We usually walk to the nearest town along the greenway. It’s quite a long walk, but the views are really beautiful. So that helps me feel quite recharged.

Do you like to catch up with family/friends at the weekend?

Yes, I try to come home to Kerry to catch up with my family at the weekends, or if I’m staying in Cork, I would meet some of my friends during my breaks or after I get my practice done.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?

I don’t really have a hobby outside of music. Most of my time goes into practicing and other college work, so when I have a free time I love just spending it with my friends.

Entertain or be entertained? If it’s the latter, do you have a signature dish?

I would prefer to be entertained. I’m not too picky about food, so I’m happy to eat pretty much anything.

We have so many places to eat out in Cork — where are your go to spots for coffee/ lunch/ special meal?

I love Swoon when I’m feeling like something sweet. I also go to SOMA quite often, I like their matcha and it’s really close to CSM, so it’s easy to go there between the lectures.

Sunday night comes around too fast... how do you normally spend it?

I usually catch up with friends, and we go out for food together.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?

I set my alarm for 9am because my first thing is a rehearsal at 11, but I love sleep so much that I’m usually still in bed until 10.

Anything else you are up to right now...

Right now I’m mostly focused on practice and preparation for my shared recital with the Meliora Quartet as part of the Ortús Chamber Music Festival Festival.

Yevliliia Yershova will be appearing at the Ortús Chamber Music Festival which takes place in and around Cork City from February 21 to March 1.

See: www.ortusfestival.ie.