Melina was born in Locarno, Switzerland, into a family of musicians.  She started playing the violin at the age of four. At ten she was accepted in the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in London. Further intense studies were with Prof. Zachar Bron in Lübeck, and Prof.Boris Kushnir at the University of Graz.  At the age of twelve she gave her debut at the Royal Festival Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and has since been performing throughout Europe as well as in the USA, South America and Japan.

Since 2003 when she became concertmaster of the Vienna and the Netherlands Radio Symphony orchestras, Melina has been in constant demand as a leader, in the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonia and the Tonhalle-Orchester in Zürich. From 2007 she has been also guest leading the London Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, where she now works and lives. A special contract allows her to continue performing both as a soloist and chamber musician.

“...the big intensive sound that fills the whole concert hall and reaches straight through to the listener’s heart…”  Wiener Zeitung