Masha and Rhona

Masha (violin/voice) and Rhona (double bass) met in 2022 whilst studying classical music at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. However, it was through a shared love of jazz and folk music from across the world that their musical connection really blossomed. Together, Masha and Rhona utilise their classical training to create unique arrangements of beloved jazz standards, folk melodies and popular songs to plunge their audience into the sound-worlds of far-away lands and fond memories. The duo hopes, through such a varied pool of music, to highlight the commonality that connects us all, whether it’s through revitalising a well-loved gypsy-jazz standard from the 30s or reworking an Eastern European klezmer tune.

As well as playing together at some of Glasgow’s iconic jazz nights, the duo, alongside composer Fergus Hall, co-wrote the score for Scottish-folklore play The Ferry, The Dog and The Fading Folk (written by Amber Francis and Odhran Thomson) which premiered in London in March 2025. Both Masha and Rhona play in Glasgow-based post-rock outfit Plant Science, with singer-songwriter phenomenon Stanley Welch and with the nuevo-tango group Garúa Tango Club.

Masha (Mariia) Zhuravlova is a classically trained Ukrainian cross-genre violinist based in Glasgow, coming from a broad experience of free improvisation, jazz, tango and Eastern European folk music. She is currently studying the Joint Principal Study (Jazz and Classical) at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and is an active collaborator in both worlds and beyond.

Rhona MacDonald is a recent graduate of The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and is an active freelancer across classical, jazz and folk contexts. Since graduating, Rhona has gained work with both the BBC SSO and RSNO, as well as playing in the house band for the BBC Radio Scotland Young Jazz award 2025.

Masha and Rhona joined the Live Music Now team in March 2026 and are excited to share their music with audiences old and new!