Olga Vilkova

Piano, North York Music Festival concerto winner

Olga Vilkova is currently in her third year at McMaster University pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Music under the instruction of Alla Zacarelli. Since entering McMaster, Olga has been a recipient of a number of music scholarships, most notably the Frank Thorolfson Memorial Scholarship, L.Bettger Music Scholarship, and the Irene Pearce Music Scholarship. She also competed in the Reginald Bedford Scholarship Competition where she triumphed in June 2015. Olga has been invited to perform at several prominent events, including the grand opening of the McMaster LIVElab in 2014, the Canadian Chopin Competition as well as at the Mississauga Polish Heritage Day alongside Canadian finalists of the 2015 International Chopin Competition. Olga made her orchestral debut in the spring of 2016 with Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, under the baton of David Bowser with the McMaster Orchestra. She devotes her spare time to running the McMaster MusicBox Children's Charity which focuses on bringing music to vulnerable children. Olga hopes to pursue a Master's degree with the end goal of a successful career in music with a focus on piano performance.