Léon Theremin’s grand-niece, Lydia Kavina was born in Moscow and began studying the theremin under the direction of Theremin himself when she was nine years old.Five years later she was ready to give her first theremin concert, which marked the beginning of a musical career that has so far led to more than a thousand concerts and theatre, radio and television performances throughout the world.

Lydia Kavina has appeared as a solo performer at such prestigious venues as the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory,  Moscow International Performing Arts Centre (with the National Philharmonic of Russia, under Vladimir Spivakov) and the Palace Bellevue in Berlin (the residency of the German President). Lydia was also invited by leading music festivals from around the world, including Caramoor, with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, New York's Lincoln Center Festival, the Holland Music Festival, the Martinu Festival, the Electronic Music Festival in Burge, and the Moscow “Avantgarde”.

Lydia performs most of the classical theremin repertoire, including popular works for theremin by B. Martinu, J. Schillinger and M. Rosza (“Spellbound”), as well as the less well-known “Equatorial” by E. Varese and Obouchov's “Testament”.

Together with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, she played theremin for Howard Shore's soundtrack of the Oscar-winning film ''Ed Wood'', as well as for ''eXistenZ'' (also by Shore) and ''The Machinist''. In addition, Kavina has recorded several compact discs and performs in a video tutorial for theremin manufacturer Moog Music. She has also featured in stage productions, such as ''Alice'' and ''The Black Rider'' (both conceived and directed by Robert Wilson, with music by Tom Waits) in Hamburg’s Thalia Theater, and in collaboration with the Russian experimental surf band Messer Chups.

Kavina is an active promoter of new experimental music for the theremin. In collaboration with Barbara Buchholz and Kamerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, Lydia Kavina has performed in a number of concerts of contemporary works for the theremin in Germany in 2005-2007 (project “Touch! Don't Touch!”).

The most notable project of her recent career is the theremin solo in ''The Little Mermaid'', a ballet by Lera Auerbach, choreographed by John Neumeier, in Copenhagen’s New Opera House and in the Hamburger Staatsoper (2007).

Lydia has a number of her own compositions, including a Concerto for theremin and symphony orchestra, first performed by the Boston Modern Orchestra, under Gil Rose. In addition to giving concerts, Kavina teaches the instrument in Western Europe, Russia and the United States.

Lydia Kavina holds a degree in composition from the Moscow Conservatory, where she also completed a postgraduate programme.