I was born in the Soviet Union, where scarcity and hard work defined everyday life. I grew up watching people hustle endlessly, often giving up on their dreams. “Success” meant no joy, no free time, and constant survival mode. Deep down, even as a child, I felt there had to be another way.

Music became my refuge. I picked up the violin at five years old, and within seven months I was performing a solo with the Sochi Symphony Orchestra. From the beginning, I wasn’t just a musician, I was a dreamer, someone who believed in possibility even in an environment where possibility felt scarce.

At 15, I made the life-changing decision to leave home and move nearly 2,000 kilometers away to Kazan to pursue my studies. Alone in a new city, I learned independence, resilience, and discipline far beyond my years. By my late teens, I had already won multiple national and international competitions and toured across Russia and Europe as concertmistress of the Chamber Student Orchestra for the Kazan State Conservatory.

At 20, I took another leap and moved across the world to the United States on a full scholarship to Temple University. In Philadelphia, I immersed myself in classical training while also expanding into new worlds of music, collaborating with legendary producers and eventually earning my Master of Music Performance degree. I performed at iconic venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, achievements that might have looked like the pinnacle of success from the outside.

But inside, something was missing…