Larysa Giesen
Violin
Larysa Giesen (Kozak) earned her BMUS in violin performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music and her MMUS in violin performance at the University of Montreal. Larysa is the winner of several concerto competitions and has performed Brahms violin concerto with the Sudbury Symphony, Dvorak violin concerto in Killington Vermont and Mozart violin concerto #4 with the University of Montreal orchestra. She has also performed at the Bowdoin Music festival in Maine, Sarasota Music festival and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. In Montreal, Larysa was a member of The Orchestra Baroque de Montreal and Principal second of “Les Jeunes Virtuoses” chamber orchestra. She also played with the Sherbrooke and Windsor Symphonies. She was a member of the Des Moines Symphony, the Phoenix quartet and the Des Moines Metro Opera. Larysa has done many studio recordings for ensemble works and for Iowa Public television. Some fun Highlights include performing with Harry Connick JR.,Ray Charles, Dennis DeYoung and Josh Groban. She has also served as a member of several teaching faculties including Cambrian College (Ontario), University of Montreal, Central College in Pella IA, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan and MacPhail Music school in Minnesota.
Larysa continues to play in the Twin Cities area as a freelance orchestral violinist and soloist. She is also a Suzuki violin teacher who enjoys working with children and shaping young musical minds. Larysa recently performed at Orchestra Hall with the Ukrainian Global Symphony, a benefit concert for Ukraine featuring Ukrainian composers. Larysa presently resides near Minneapolis with her husband and two children.
