Meet the Musicians: Natasha Bazhanov

By Leilani Polk

Natasha Bazhanov’s musical journey has taken her more than 10,000 miles across three continents — from her hometown of Yekaterinburg, Russia, to Cleveland, Ohio, to the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and finally to Seattle, where she’s now a member of the Second Violin section in our orchestra. This season marks her 10th anniversary.  

Music has been the center of Bazhanov’s life since she first picked up the violin at age 5. She was accepted to the prestigious Moscow Conservatory for her undergraduate studies, and it was there that she embarked on her first international tour, performing in concert halls and festivals across Europe. For a young woman who had never left her home country, the experience was transformative. “The biggest shock was the colors,” she explains. “Back home, everything felt grey and uniform. Here, there was so much variety — different foods, clothes, even the way the streets looked. Going to a grocery store for the first time was overwhelming. Honestly, I still get a little excited just to go grocery shopping.” 

That sense of discovery fuels her enthusiasm about the idea of touring with the Seattle Symphony, something new Music Director Xian Zhang has expressed interest in doing. “Touring changes you — not just as a musician, but as a group,” she says. “You spend every day playing in new halls, meeting different audiences, and bringing your very best to the stage. It’s both challenging and deeply bonding.”  

After immigrating to the U.S. with her family in 1991, Bazhanov won her position with the Florida Orchestra within just six months. During her time there, she reconnected with fellow violinist — and future husband — Artur Girsky, whom she had met briefly years earlier at the Moscow Conservatory. They married in 2007, and when Girsky won a position with the Seattle Symphony, Bazhanov joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra. The flexible schedule was ideal for raising a young daughter.  

She also freelanced with the Seattle Opera and Seattle Symphony before winning her full-time seat alongside Girsky in 2015. “Having two full-time jobs in the same orchestra is rare,” she says. “We grew up in the same country, studied at the same schools, shared many of the same teachers and friends. This established a level of connection that is hard to replicate and working together just adds another layer of shared experiences.”  

Bazhanov and Girsky also perform extensively in chamber music settings, with other outside ensembles and in the Symphony’s Chamber Series. They performed both Brahms Sextets with their colleagues in a series concert last season. “Playing both in one evening was no small feat,” she says. “But it ended up being one of the most exhilarating concerts I’ve done.” 

At home, she loves spending time with her family and getting lost in a good book — whether it’s a novel by Ann Patchett or nonfiction like Thomas L. Friedman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem. She also enjoys curling up on the couch with her daughter and watching reality TV. “I know it’s kind of ridiculous, but that’s the fun of it,” she says. “It’s just mindless enough to let me switch off and laugh at someone else’s drama for a while.” Her latest binge? Love Island. “It’s completely over the top — and I couldn’t stop watching.”