Katya Tsukanova Biography

Katya Tsukanova was a 17-year-old English violinist who died on June 18, 2019 after a drug overdose. She was the daughter of Russian bankers and philanthropists Igor Tsukanov and Natasha Tsukanova.She was awarded the best young musician award at the Suoni dal Golfo Music Festival in Lerici, Italy.

Katya Tsukanova Age

Katya was 17 years old; she was born in 2002 in London.

Katya Tsukanova Parents

Katya was the daughter of Russian bankers and philanthropists Igor Tsukanov and Natasha Tsukanova. Together the couple runs the Tsukanov Family Foundation which is involved in funding art and music projects. Natasha Tsukanova is also chair of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s board of governors.

Katya Tsukanova Violinist

Katya began her career as a violinist at the age of 5. She was accepted to the Royal College of Music (RCM) Junior Department at the age of 9. She has trained with Professor Zakhar Bron since 2012 and has performed in his class concerts in Russia, Japan, Switzerland, Austria and Germany.

Katya won first place in her age group in the Golden Strings of America International String Competition (part of American Fine Arts Festival) in 2012. Along with other first-place winners, she was offered an opportunity to perform at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall in New York.

Katya had performed in Moscow with the leading Russian string orchestra Moscow Virtuozi (directed by Vladimir Spivakov) and with Orchestra of St John’s in London.

In April 2017 she performed with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nikoloz Rachveli, at the historic Shota Rustaveli Theatre in Tbilisi (Georgia); and again with the same orchestra in December of 2017.

In September 2017 she performed with Orchestra Excellence conducted by Gianluca Marciano in Lerici, Italy, at the first international music Festival Suoni dal Golfo.

In March 2018 she performed Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Serge Smbatyan, at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan (Armenia).

Katya Tsukanova Death

Katya died on June 18, 2019, her father Igor found her unconscious at the family home in west London in the early hours of June 18. She was rushed to hospital but doctors were unable to save her.

Her father said; ‘My daughter was so happy. She had just performed at the Royal Opera House and she was planning for the future. She even had a board on her bedroom wall with all her concerts perfectly laid out. Then one morning I came in, and she was lying dead on the floor.’

Igor told Telegraph that he knew his daughter and her friends did drugs.

“Sometimes she would have parties in my house and I found her friends unconscious. I had to call the ambulance. I never understood why they were like that. It wasn’t from drinking. But I want to make clear that I don’t blame anyone for Katya’s death.”

Katya Tsukanova Cause of Death (‘Calvin Klein’ Drug)

Katya died after ‘taking a deadly cocktail of cocaine and ketamine’ known as a Calvin Klein.

Katya Tsukanova Funeral

Katya’s funeral was held at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in London and a concert in her memory will take place on 11 August at the Suoni dal Golfo festival in Lerici, Italy, where her parents were patrons and she had performed in the past.