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
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