“My name is Zofia Sosińska and I am 15 years old. I come from Poland and I live in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki which is located on the outskirts of the capital of my homeland - Warsaw. I am in the first grade of secondary school on a profile extending Math, Physics and Computer Science. Math and Computer Science are my favourite subjects at school. I also enjoy learning languages - English and German. In the future, I would like to start learning Arabic and Spanish. My favourite color is black, because it symbolizes power of the character, elegance and mystery. I identify myself with this features. As a young violinist I really enjoy playing pieces by Bach, Sarasate, Wieniawski and Paganini. Musical works by this composers are sometimes extremely challenging to play, but the satisfaction of performing them is able to reward the hard work.
 
I had the first contact with violin at the age of 5. I started my musical journey from learning by the classical method of studying instrument. After some time I found out that this type of learning is not for me. At the age of 7 I started my adventure with Suzuki method. I found each lesson inspiring, interesting and very enjoyable. Finally, something I really wanted to do was combined with great pleasure. I realized how much of an impact the work atmosphere has on a young child's education. I have been at this method ever since. I have completed all the books. I study at the Suzuki Institute in Gdańsk under Mrs. Anna Podhajska. My music school is about 350 kilometers away from my house so I have to commute a lot.

When I was younger I often went to the theater and philharmonic. I showed high sensitivity during concerts and performances. I have cried with emotion. One day while coming back from kindergarten I told my family that what I wanted most in the world was to learn to play the violin. My parents were surprised to hear this, but they immediately started looking for a teacher for me.
 
My day routine is overflowing with tasks to be completed. My classes usually begins at 8 am. I come home at about 3 pm and then I go for afterschool lessons. I start practicing my violin playing. After practice I do my homework and study for my school tests. Most of my weekends I spend in my music school in Gdańsk. It takes about 4 hours one way to get there, so I spend that time studying, singing or playing the ukulele. When I'm at school I try to focus only on music anymore and make the most of my time for lessons and practice.

My music life takes a lot of time just like my school. When I have a free day (without school) I like riding the bike. For me it is a great way to forget about the pile of school books lying on my desk waiting to be opened and  it just gives me a peace of mind. I also enjoy travelling. Immersing myself in a foreign culture brings me a lot of joy and makes my life better. A vacation moment spent in another country is an opportunity to experience new people, customs, food, music and many more.

I could not imagine myself without music. It is the way of my life, something I would like to do with my future. In a life full of school-related responsibilities, it gives my get-up-and-go meaning and makes it something to come home to.

At some point, I felt that I would like to participate in some kind of music competition in the near future. Due to pandemic restrictions, live competitions did not happen as often as in previous years. I had heard very positive things about the London Young Musician competitions. The competition format is very interesting, so the experience of participating in London Young Musician of the Year and other seasonal parts of the contest has brought me a lot of joy. I took part in the 1st season of this years contest and then I decided to enter “Musician of the Year” very spontaneously, practically overnight. I thought I absolutely had to take up this challenge. I have always believed that we do not prepare the repertoire only for a particular competition. We do it by investing in our future. We prepare for each performance or competition all our lives, because without what we obtained at the beginning. I performed one piece - Largo and Allegro Assai from Bach’s Sonata No. 3 in C Major. This  two contrasting movements provide an opportunity to show playing technique, maturity and musical sensitivity.

Something that definitely sets the London Young Musician of the Year competition apart is that you are competing against musicians who play other instruments. This is the only competition of this format that I have participated in. I was very happy and surprised to win because I was competing with great musicians. I didn't have a chance to celebrate my victory, but internally it was a stimulus and motivation for me to continue working, which means a lot for me. Congratulations to all the participants. You are amazing. I am so glad that I had a chance to listen to your performances.

My biggest dream is to become a professional musician in the future. I know that I have to be patient and work hard, because hard work always pays off. I feel ready to dedicate myself to practicing for hours on end, because if you love something, you can do it forever. The satisfaction of a job well done, the feeling of being appreciated by the audience is an extraordinary value that gives motivation to continue working.

It is certainly good to be realistic about our abilities and believe in them. In my opinion, it is important to remember that despite constant improvement, there is no concept of perfection in the world of music. Besides playing the right notes and the rhythm, musicians convey a story through their performances. Much depends on the taste of the listeners. There is no situation in which everyone likes the same thing.

I always say that the future deals us cards and the past teaches us how to lay them out. Regardless of the outcome of any contest, every experience is valuable and teaches us something.”