Soul Strings is a living, breathing chamber music project founded by cellist and curator Anna Shabalina. At its heart is Anna’s vision: to create transformative musical journeys that blend classical elegance with global textures, personal stories, and a touch of surprise. Unlike fixed ensembles, Soul Strings evolves. Its members shift depending on the music, the setting, and the moment. Anna carefully selects her collaborators — pianists, violinists, vocalists, and other artists — who deeply resonate with the repertoire and share her emotional commitment to the work. From baroque-inspired meditations to the rhythms and melodies of diverse world cultures, jazz harmonies, and modern arrangements, Soul Strings concerts are intimate, thoughtful, and genre-defying. Each performance is a curated experience, crafted with love and presented with precision.

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"I attended your Rachmaninoff concert last week. I really loved your playing! So expressive and masterful as well."

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Soul Strings was born on the shores of the Indian Ocean, in Goa, where Anna experienced a profound musical awakening. While living there, she discovered that in India, “Western music” could mean anything from Bach to Michael Jackson — and that Western classical music, as we know it, was often unfamiliar. That realization sparked both humility and inspiration. With a jazz bassist and pianist eager to explore classical music, Anna began organizing concerts-turned-conversations: musical dialogues that introduced Indian audiences to the unique voices of classical instruments like the cello and double bass. A visiting Austrian violinist soon joined the journey, forming an unexpected but thrilling trio. Together, they performed rare and intimate repertoire — pieces even Western audiences seldom hear — while offering insights into the instruments and traditions behind them. Later, Anna collaborated with a Russian-New Zealander pianist who was rediscovering music in her 40s. Their performances not only moved audiences but also reignited the pianist’s passion, inspiring her to continue her musical education.

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This spirit of collaboration and discovery has continued to shape Soul Strings. After moving to Canada, Anna performed online and in small home concerts with a Kazakh-Russian pianist in Toronto and collaborated with several Toronto chamber ensembles. Now based in Halifax, Soul Strings presents chamber concerts that bridge genres, cultures, and emotional worlds — always rooted in classical foundations, and always designed to stir something deep within the listener. Anna's passion extends to presenting classical music from all eras and ethnicities, creating performances that offer audiences both a wide selection of famous and rare works and insightful perspectives. 

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Soul Strings has performed in cities across Europe and Canada, sharing music and stories in venues ranging from churches and salons to concert halls and outdoor festivals.

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Whether in a duo or larger ensemble, Soul Strings offers more than a concert — it offers connection, curiosity, and a sense of being truly moved.