Yulia Deyneka was born in Russia in 1982. She studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, moving to Germany in 2001 and subsequently graduating from the Rostock Music Academy and the Berlin University of the Arts.

Since 2005, she has been the first principal violist of the Staatskapelle Berlin. As a soloist, she has worked with conductors such as Andris Nelsons, François-Xavier Roth and Daniel Barenboim, appearing at some of the world's most prestigious concert halls.

A dedicated performer of contemporary music, she has premiered works by Peter Eötvös, Matthias Pintscher, Olga Neuwirth und Jörg Widmann, among others, and has been a member of the Boulez Ensemble since its inception. Yulia Deyneka is a founding member of the Staatskapelle Berlin String Quartet. She serves as professor of viola at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin. She has recorded for such labels as Pentatone, Naxos, Linn and DG.