Ukrainian trombonist Polina Tarasenko was born in Kherson in 2001. She took her first musical steps as a member of the children’s jazz band “Dixieland” in her home country. From 2013 to 2018 she studied classical trombone at the Gnessin Moscow Special School of Music. Then Polina moved to Germany to study with Prof. Jonas Bylund at the University of Music, Theater and Media in Hannover. There she obtained her bachelor’s degree in the summer of 2022. Since September 2022 she has been studying with Prof. Ian Bousfield at the University of the Arts in Bern, Switzerland.

Despite her young age, Polina has already won several prizes at international trombone competitions in Italy, France, Germany and the US. She is also a prize winner of the International Aeolus Wind Competition 2023 and has received three special prizes at the International ARD Competition in 2022.