Pianist Donka Angatscheva: I want to create something beautiful and meaningful

One of the most recognisable figures on Austria’s classical music scene, Donka Angatscheva—born in Plovdiv—has, for several years, been part of the prestigious circle of Bösendorfer Artists, joining the ranks of legendary pianists such as Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Alfred Brendel, and András Schiff. A musician with a vibrant European career, Angatscheva is also a successful manager and the founder of the initiative Die Kunst in Österreich lebt weiter (“Art in Austria Lives On”). In 2023, she was named Woman of the Year in the “Art and Culture” category by the Austrian magazine LOOK!.

She is a graduate of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien) and a laureate of numerous Bulgarian and international competitions. Angatscheva has performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras, served as a jury member, and mentored contestants in a televised format on ORF.

She has released nine albums and has accumulated over 2.5 million streams on Spotify—a remarkable achievement for a classical artist. Her performances have taken her to some of the world’s most renowned venues, including the Musikverein and Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Tonhalle in Zurich, and Flagey in Brussels.

In addition to her artistic work, Angatscheva actively supports various cultural and social causes and is the face of a well-known jewellery brand. In early 2024, she was included in Forbes’ “Top 70” list of celebrities. She currently serves as Vice President of the esteemed Internationale Chopin Gesellschaft (International Chopin Society), and as of October 2025, she is set to become its President.

Donka Angatscheva took her first piano lesson at the age of five in her hometown of Plovdiv. By the age of ten, she was performing with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. However, her journey into music began even earlier, when she was four years old and fascinated by her uncle’s accordion. It wasn’t long before she realised that the piano would be a better instrument for her.

She was fortunate to study with wonderful teachers who inspired her greatly. Although her parents were not professional musicians, they were passionate about music and wholeheartedly supported their daughter. They recognised from the beginning how much joy and enthusiasm she brought to the piano.

'I was accepted into the Music School in Plovdiv as the top-ranked candidate,” she recalls. 'It caused quite a sensation because I was just a child from a working-class neighbourhood with no musical background. It was unusual... But I had a happy childhood — just me, my piano, my dreams and my teachers.”

Vienna was part of those childhood dreams, too. At 17, she moved to Austria to continue her studies. The competition was fierce, with around 160–180 applicants from around the world competing for just 20 places, 10 of which were reserved for Austrian students and 10 for international students. Donka was accepted into the class of the legendary Professor Heinz Medjimorec, which she describes as both a blessing and a dream come true.

Speaking about her education at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, she says:

‘My style of playing didn’t have to change,’ says Donka Angatscheva. ‘My professor simply added a Viennese nuance to my performances.’ He never took anything away from the emotion.” He used to say, ‘What makes you truly special is precisely the emotion with which you play. Keep that bold, ‘masculine’ interpretation, but add a hint of finesse and a touch of Viennese refinement.'”

She describes her time studying in Vienna as a profound lesson in not only music, but also resilience and self-belief. ‘That world is incredibly tough. First, you have to survive. Then you have to prove yourself. You need to have something truly special — something that sets you apart from everyone else.'

Angatscheva received serious technical training from a young age, despite the difficult conditions she grew up in. 'Very often, we had no heating. My grandmother knitted me fingerless gloves so that I could continue practising. I remember sometimes there was no electricity — I played by candlelight. Some of the practice pianos were missing keys. That’s why my goal and dream is to use the proceeds from this year's gala to buy a proper instrument for the Plovdiv Music School. As a Bösendorfer artist, that was an absolute priority for me.”

The children at the school will receive the new piano in the coming weeks — a gift made possible through the fundraising efforts tied to Angatscheva’s Gala of Bulgarian Culture and Music, which she initiated and which was first held on 24 May 2024. This year's concert took place on 25 May in the Brahms Hall of the Vienna Musikverein.

At Austria’s most prestigious concert venue, Angatscheva brought together remarkable Bulgarian musicians from various genres to showcase the richness and diversity of her country's musical heritage.

‘You know,’ says Donka Angatscheva, ‘I’m someone who always wants to create something beautiful and meaningful. For me, Bulgaria will always live in my heart. It’s where I started out and developed as a pianist. Austria is where I found my professional footing. That’s why it was important to me to connect these two worlds and highlight Bulgaria's incredible cultural history. We have wonderful music that simply needs to be heard.”

Angatscheva and her husband. Photo; Facebook/ Donka Angatscheva

'I decided to bring together some truly outstanding talent, because Austria isn't the only place where talent exists. To me, Austria is a work of art — everything there is beautiful: the talent, the music, the culture. But we have that in Bulgaria, too. I deeply value my colleagues, and I wanted to present Bulgarian music in the most dignified way possible, on a world-class stage.”

Angatscheva is also renowned for her chamber music performances. In Bulgaria, she is celebrated as part of the acclaimed Trio d'Ante, performing alongside violinist Valya Dervenska and cellist Teodora Miteva.

She has also performed chamber music with tenor Andreas Schager, baritone Clemens Unterreiner, soprano Ildikó Raimondi, violinists Lidia Baich and Ekaterina Frolova, and Katharina Stemberger, one of Austria’s most prominent actresses.

She is a serious musician — yet also a strikingly elegant and impressive woman. An active soloist and educator, a television personality, Vice President of the International Chopin Society, and a passionate supporter of social, cultural, and charitable causes.

With a life lived at such a tempo, isn’t it hard to keep pace?

‘No, because these are beautiful things, and that’s what motivates me,’ says Angatscheva. ‘Of course, you do need to pace yourself, because ultimately, the most important thing is the music, the art itself.’ But everything around me is connected to art. You can see how active I am in so many different areas. I think the most rewarding thing is when people outside the classical music world also admire what we do. To hear them say, ‘Wow! Classical music can actually be really interesting!’

Maybe I come across differently, or maybe people just perceive it differently. But the fact is, they enjoy it.

With a loving family — her husband and two daughters who support and cherish her — a flourishing career, and a strong media and public presence, one wonders: What a woman who seems to have achieved so much could still dream about?

‘You know,’ says Donka Angatscheva, ‘my dream is simply for us to live in a calmer world. A world with more culture, where people value what's real in life. I have a feeling that we’re heading in a negative direction. I want peace in the world. I want people to love each other. I want people to believe in the good things, in God...

Perhaps I'm just too optimistic. But I never lose faith. I never lose hope. I just wish people everywhere would be kinder to one another and truly strive for something better."

Perhaps the world is already listening.

On 30 September, Donka Angatscheva will receive one of Austria's highest honours: the Gold Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

Posted in English by E. Radkova

Photos: Personal archive of Donka Angatscheva, Facebook/ Donka Angatscheva