Isabel Graefin Pachta

Biography

Born in 1996 in Ravensburg, Germany, Isabel began playing the violin at the age of 3 with the Suzuki Method. When she was 6 she received lessons from Alban Beikircher, who then became her long term mentor.

Whilst doing her Abitur, she took up lessons with Prof. Anke Dill at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart and was a pre-student at the Musikhochschule Würzburg with Prof. Herwig Zack from 2013-14.

From 2011-2014, whilst still at school Isabel was a member of the German Representative youth orchestra Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie (DSP) conducted by Michael Sanderling.
There, she played with acclaimed soloists such as Nils Mönkemeyer, Daniel Hope and Julia Fischer in venues such as Alte Oper Frankfurt, Berliner Philharmonie, Kölner Philharmonie. Since 2015, Isabel is a member of the Munich Chamber Orchestra DaCapo, conducted by Franz Schottky.

Other notable teachers include Prof. Ingolf Turban (Munich, Germany), Prof. Arlette Bonamy (Paris, France), Kevin Lawrence (North Carolina, USA), Sergio Castro (Madrid, Spain) and Liljy Hjaltadóttir (Reykjavik, Iceland).

Isabel holds a Bachelor degree of Arts from the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, where she studied with Prof. Ulrich Gröner from 2014-2017.

Isabel holds a Master of Arts degree from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, where she studied as a recipient of scholarships with Professor Ofer Falk. 

In 2019, Isabel won a place in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kirill Karabits through the graduate scheme.

In 2020, Isabel started her Professional Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Professor Michael Foyle.

She performed both as a soloist and as a chamber musician in Germany, Rome, Prague, Austria, England and Switzerland.

Isabel plays on a Martin Schleske violin made in 2011.