Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2026 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

Parashkev Hadjiev (1912–1992)

Once Upon a Time: A fairy-tale opera by Bulgaria's master composer, Parashkev Hadjiev

Often described as “the Bulgarian Verdi” or “the Bulgarian Puccini,” composer Parashkev Hadjiev (1912–1992) has long been recognised as a central figure in Bulgaria’s operatic tradition. The country’s most prolific creator of musical-stage works, he left..

published on 11/28/25 4:45 PM

Veselin Marinov with four consecutive concerts in front of the audience in Sofia

Admirers of schlager music and expressive stage presence are certainly looking forward to the pre-Christmas meeting with Veselin Marinov. It has already been a long-standing tradition for the singer to have a concert in the National..

published on 11/25/25 9:51 AM
Scene from the film

"People and Streets” from the cult Bulgarian classic "The Boy Goes Away"

Photos: ubc-bg.com, архив, Facebook/ Filmotechno podcast Discover more Bulgarian music  in Radio Bulgaria's series "Highlights of Bulgarian musical culture": Highlights of Bulgarian musical culture: ''Barefoot times'' -..

published on 11/22/25 12:15 PM