Nikolai Koval

Born in Kyiv in Ukraine, Nikolai Koval started playing the violin at the age of five and graduated from the National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kyiv Conservatory). He started his career in the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra and performed in many countries in Europe, Asia and America. While in the chamber orchestra, he worked with many of the world’s leading soloists including Gidon Kremer, Natalia Gutman, Alexei Lyubimov and Mischa Maisky. He was also involved in many chamber projects such as with the Ukraine National Philharmonic String Quartet. In 1996 he performed as soloist with Lysenko Chamber Orchestra at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and made a recording under the Disky Communications label in Netherlands. Nikolai moved to Germany in 1997, where he played Principal Second Violin with Philharmonia of the Nations until he joined the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in 2002.