Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Pianist Aleksandra Ivanova about her participation in Sofia Music Weeks festival

Two premieres at the pianist's concert on June 26

Photo: FB/aleksandraivanovaofficial

If you take a look at her concert programmes, you will definitely be impressed by two things - the many premieres and the constant presence of works by contemporary authors - Bulgarian, and in recent years, foreign composers.

Aleksandra Ivanova shares that she owes her interest in the Bulgarian school of composition to her piano teacher - Prof. Yovcho Krushev, who advised his students to constantly expand their repertoire of Bulgarian works. The young pianist has presented and continues to present works by Nikolai Badinski (world-famous Bulgarian composer who has lived in Germany for years), Stoyan Babekov, Angel Kotev, Krassimir Taskov and others. She also has a performing profile on YouTube, through which her performances reach contemporary authors from different countries, with whom she also collaborates.

If you look at her concert programs, you will definitely be impressed by two things - the many premieres and the constant presence of works by contemporary authors - Bulgarian, and in recent years, foreign. Aleksandra Ivanova shares that she owes her interest in the native school of composition to her piano teacher - Prof. Yovcho Krushev, who advised his students to constantly expand their repertoire of Bulgarian works. The young pianist has presented and continues to present works by Nikolai Badinski (world-famous Bulgarian composer who has lived in Germany for years), Stoyan Babekov, Angel Kotev, Krassimir Taskov and others. She also has a performing profile on YouTube, through which her performances reach contemporary authors from different countries, with whom she also collaborates.

It all started with Martin Max Schreiner* from the USA, who decided to write the play "Opera Scenes without the Libretto" especially for me," says the pianist. “The world premiere was in the chamber hall "Bulgaria" in 2020 at a concert entitled "The Music World of America and Bulgaria". In addition to "Opera Excerpts", I performed, for the first time in Bulgaria, two more of his works. Then was the Bulgarian premiere of Suite for Viola and Piano by Christopher Lowry from the USA, which we performed together with Kristian Sugarev. And last year, as part of an international composition studio at the Pancho Vladigerov National Music Academy, I presented "Improvisations for Piano" by the young Romanian author Vlad Gînța, also a premiere for Bulgaria."


The Sofia audience will meet Aleksandra at the concert on June 26, in Bulgaria chamber hall at 12 am. There will be two premieres again, as the event is part of the International Festival Sofia Music Weeks - "Stage for Young Musicians". Here are more details:

“The programme is diverse. The emphasis is on the work of the prominent Polish composer Marian Borkowski "Romantic Interludes", which will be performed for the first time in Bulgaria”, explains Aleksandra. “There is another premiere for our country - Concert Suite from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, an author's transcription of Mikhail Pletnev, which presents a slightly different interpretation of this music. I work as a ballet accompanist at the Sofia Opera, I know this ballet very well and that's why I decided to play the whole suite. I must say that some of pieces of it have been performed in Bulgaria before, but for the first time all 11 parts will be performed. I have also included Prelude and Fugue from Johann Sebastian Bach's Well-Tempered Piano. I think it was an interesting program and I hope the audience will like it."

*Martin Max Schreiner - "Opera scenes without a Libretto" (dedicated to Aleksandra Ivanova)

English version Rositsa Petkova



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Kichka Savova's songs bring together young talents at a masterclass in Plovdiv

On November 9, one of the halls of Trakia Ensemble in Plovdiv will host the traditional masterclass "With Kichka Savova’s Songs" . The event is organized by the Kichka Savova Foundation, chaired by Stefka Zdravkova, daughter of the renowned Thracian..

published on 11/8/24 7:05 AM

Iskrena Yordanova – a distinguished musician who has dedicated her heart to Baroque music

For thirty years now, Bulgarian violinist Iskrena Yordanova has been living in Lisbon. Everything she does as a musician is related to Baroque music. She has devoted much of her time to discovering ancient manuscripts, which she brings back to life with..

published on 11/6/24 10:44 AM

Kottarashky with 2 events in Berlin: a premiere of the film Balkan Black Box and a concert

Kottarashky is one of the most intriguing musicians to have appeared on the Bulgarian music scene in the first decade of the 21 st century. The man behind the stage name is Nikola Gruev, and his work is an ongoing genre-blending experiment. He is..

published on 11/5/24 8:23 AM