Music for Two is an innovative, one-of-a-kind sound recording project. A blend of baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary music played on two violins. The project is the brainchild of two people – Kremena Nikolova, who is Bulgarian, and Anton Martynov, who is Russian. They first performed their programme in Bulgaria at the end of September, at the Bulgarian National Radio’s concert studio – studio No. 1.

“My name is Kremena Nikolova and I am a violinist. I was born in Sliven but I graduated the music school in Bourgas, then the Pancho Vladigerov National Music Academy in Sofia. I have lived in Italy for five years and have been performing on stage as solo and as chamber musician. I organize a festival - I am currently preparing its fourth edition in Venice. I am happy to say that for some years, first as a student and then as a chamber music partner, I have had the good fortune of performing together with an amazing Russian violinist – Anton Martynov. He is a strikingly versatile musician – violinist, but also pianist, conductor and composer. We started recording a big violin project together entitled Music for Two that features baroque as well as contemporary pieces for two violins. I am happy to say that the Bulgarian National Radio showed an interest in our programme and invited us for a concert at the national radio. Actually, the result was a mini-tour of five concerts in five Bulgarian towns.”

Music lovers were able to hear and appreciate the performances of the two violinists in Sofia, Kazanluk, Sliven, Plovdiv and Bourgas.

“The idea for Music for Two was born spontaneously. Anton Martynov works with some of the foremost names in the world, among them Ivry Gitlis - he has worked with him in Paris,” Kremena Nikolova goes on to say. “One day we paid him a visit and he asked us to play something. We had already played part of this programme for pleasure. Gitlis really liked it and said we simply must record this music and then Anton Martynov sat down and composed some pieces which later grew into Suite in E Major. The audience was really impressed by the suite, along with two sonatas – by Jean-Marie Lerclair - which we also included in the programme. So, we included in the two discs six sonatas for two violins, op. 3 – our own integral performance. Disc 1 features the baroque Suite in E Major in seven parts. We decided to have something special, something distinctive as a finale - Dä Bärnertanz – a local folklore dance Anton composed while he was in Switzerland. For the second disc we recorded another baroque suite – in B minor, again composed by Anton. The distinctive piece in it is called Barocianiza – a blend of baroque music and the Bulgarian ruchenitsa, again written by Anton. So, the end pieces of both discs are distinctive, inspired by folklore.”

As to her work with Anton Martynov, Kremena says:

“We met eight years ago in Bulgaria. I was still a student then at the Music Academy in Sofia. Professor Minko Balkanski – a Bulgarian physicist who lives and works in Paris - was doing a great many things for Bulgarian culture. One of these events was to organize a master class every year, inviting renowned classical musicians from the French music stage. In 2009 he invited Prof. Anton Martynov and I was in his master class. I was overwhelmed by his performances and his tutoring style. In the years that followed I went to several more of his master classes in different countries. He first invited me to perform with him on stage in 2011. As time went by we started playing together more and more often as a violin and piano duo – he is also a pianist. The fact that he is equally skilled as soloist of both instruments, that he composes and conducts lends real depth to his performances. He has been living in Paris for 25 years where he is artistic director of the Printemps du Violon Festival. He is a violin professor at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. A versatile musician who travels and performs globally.”

English version: Milena Daynova