Irina Zahharenkova is one of the most outstanding keyboard performers of her generation to emerge from Estonia today. She has won first prizes in such major international piano competitions as the Leipzig's Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (2006), Italy's Alessandro Casagrande Competition (2006), Romania's Georges Enesco Competition (2005), and Spain's Premio Jaen Competition (2004). In 2008 she became prize-winner in Arthur Rubinstein Piano Masters Competition in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Zahharenkova obtained her Master of Music degree in Estonian Academy of Music with Professor Lilian Semper and in Sibelius Academy in Finland with Professor Hui-Ying LiuTawaststjerna. In addition to piano she explored early keyboards, studying harpsichord with Professor Maris Valk-Falk and fortepiano with Professor Pekka Vapaavuori. Irina Zahharenkova has also been a laureate in Prague Spring competition in Czech Republic (2005) - as a harpsichordist and in Festival van Vlaanderen competition in Bruges, Belgium (2004) - as fortepianist. She was a winner of 2007 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Award.
Performing frequently in solo piano and harpsichord recitals in Europe and Japan, she has played among others in Klavier-Festival Ruhr in Germany, Spoleto Festival in Italy, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland, Bergen International Festival in Norway and others. As soloist she has appeared with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Israel Philharmonic, Pilsen Radio Simphony Orchestra, Helsinki City Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Finlandia and others, played with such conductors as Juha Kangas, Dmitri Aleksejev, Leif Segerstam, Patrick Gallois.
Her repertoire encompasses a wide range of musical styles from baroque to contemporary.
Apart from concert activities Irina Zahharenkova is teaching piano in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and in Sibelius Academy.
In 2010 Zahharenkova had two recordings released: DVD by Estonian Record Productions, recorded live at Glasperlenspiel Festival in Tartu, Estonia, where she gave a recital playing harpsichord, fortepiano and modern piano, and CD with Bach Goldberg Variations by Classical Records.