Alla Aranovskaya came to WSU in 2010 simply because there were two job openings — one for violin and one for cello.

She is the first violinist in the St. Petersburg String Quartet.

Rather than separating the quartet, Aranovskaya, along with her three colleagues, Boris Vayner, Evgeny Zvonnikov and Leonid Shukayev, requested that the university hire all of them, to have WSU’s very own “quartet in-residence.” The School of Music accepted their offer, and the quartet has been teaching and touring for the past three years.

Russ Widener, director of the School of Music, came to WSU the same year as the quartet. He said Aranovskaya and the group have “phenomenal” rehearsing techniques, and are well liked by students.

“They are an amazing group, and she is really a wonderful violinist and a wonderful musician,” Widener said.

Aranovskaya was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. She started playing the piano at age two-and-a-half and began the violin at age six. She said she played both instruments until she reached 20, when she chose to focus solely on the violin.

By competing as a soloist and with a quartet, she won six national and international prizes. Soon after, the St. Petersburg String Quartet was formed.

“I started [the] string quartet almost 29 years ago; in 2015, our quartet is going to celebrate our 30th anniversary,” she said.

For 15 years, until 2001, Aranovskaya was a professor of violin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, in addition to working with the quartet. In 1996, the quartet was nominated for a Grammy in “Best Chamber Music Performance” for the piece “Shostakovich: String Quartets, Nos. 3, 5 & 7.”

“It was funny, because at that time, we still lived in Russia,” Aranovskaya said. “We didn’t know — nobody notified us.”

A friend who understood English found a newspaper and read that they were nominated, eventually bringing them the exciting news.

In 1997, the group moved to the United States and became the “quartet in-residence” for the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio.

“Until 2003, we were teaching there, and then we just stayed there, and we toured around the world,” she said. “We visited most of the countries in the world, except the North Pole and South Pole and Africa.”

Since coming to WSU, Aranovskaya has enjoyed the opportunity to teach students and work with the other musicians in the School of Music.

“We really appreciate the School of Music, that they host us,” Aranovskaya said. “It’s so great to belong to a school and have a possibility to teach and give your knowledge — share your knowledge with the students.”

Selim Giray, assistant professor in violin, only gave praised about Aranovskaya. He said he finds the experience of working with other talented musicians an “enriching” opportunity.

“Dr. Aranovskaya is a marvelous violinist and her students are very accomplished,” Giray said. “She is a quintessential example of the Russian school of playing and teaching.”

Aranovskaya said one of the most interesting aspects of her career is the chance to travel the world with her quartet. She said they have played on some of the world’s most famous stages. Despite thoroughly enjoying her job, Aranovskaya said the quartet is always working on improving.

“We are always working toward some horizon that we’re trying to catch,” she said. “If you think that you’ve reached your peak, it means you’ve stopped. We don’t want to stop yet.”