Episode #11
EP 11 - From Kitchen Utensils to the O2 Arena: Rusanda Panfili
She became the youngest student ever admitted to the Vienna Conservatory at 11 — moved there alone, barely speaking German, and went on to perform as solo violinist for Hans Zimmer in arenas across the world, tour with Andrea Bocelli, and debut at the Royal Albert Hall. In this episode of Monetized , we sit down with Rusanda Panfili : Moldovan-born violinist, composer, arranger and winner of the Austrian Film Academy Award 2026. Her story starts with a girl in Bucharest imitating her mother's violin with kitchen utensils — and ends up in sold-out O2 arenas and Hollywood film scores. In between: a surprise conservatory audition she thought was a family trip, years living alone as a child in a foreign country, a viral moment that attracted as much hate as love, and the decision to walk away from one of the biggest touring jobs in music to focus entirely on her own voice. We talk about why she shares YouTube revenue directly with her superfans, what Hans Zimmer taught her about going beyond her own limits, how she was among the first classical artists to go all in on social media, and what it really means to be both an artist and a brand without losing either. Plus: the wedding story involving spilled wine and a borrowed hairdryer, brand partnerships, covering iconic film scores with full orchestra, and what comes next. 🔗 Follow Rusanda Panfili: Instagram: instagram.com/rusandapanfili YouTube: youtube.com/c/RusandaPanfili Website: rusandapanfili.com 🎙 Listen to Monetized: Spotify: search "Monetized" 👍 Enjoyed this? Subscribe, leave a comment and share it with someone who believes in doing things their own way. 🎵 Music credits Intro: "Fragments" by Rusanda Panfili & Johannes Winkler Outro: "Know My Number" by Lucy Dreams ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: why the audience is everything to Rusanda 03:01 – Growing up in Bucharest, imitating her mother's violin with kitchen utensils 08:02 – The surprise Vienna audition she thought was a holiday 10:23 – Moving to Vienna at 11 — alone, zero German, tourist visa 13:23 – Meeting Johannes, the wedding and the spilled wine story 16:58 – Sharing YouTube revenue directly with her superfans 19:49 – Going all in as a content creator — and the viral backlash 23:54 – Royal Albert Hall debut and composing cadenzas for every country 24:45 – How she joined Hans Zimmer's live band 26:35 – Why she stepped away from the tour to focus on her own music 28:46 – Why she posts every day and what she gets back 33:07 – Brand partnerships: what she accepts, what she turns down 38:08 – New cinematic album: iconic soundtracks, full orchestra, her perspective 41:07 – Closing thanks
