ONLINE! Classical violin concerto from Max Bruch by the “Sofia Philharmonic”

Dear friends,

This Thursday, 6 May 2021, from 18:00 GMT, we are pleased to present you an online classical concert by Max Brook at the Sofia Philharmonic.

BOZHIDARA KUZMANOVA started playing the violin at the age of 5 in Sofia.  She later completed her studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with Prof. Günther Pichler.  She has won many national and international violin competitions in Europe and the United States, including the Bela Bartok Competition (1996), the Dobrin Petkov Violin Competition (1996), the Haverhill Symphony Competition in Great Britain (2000), and the Hudson String Competition.  – USA (2000), Frankfurt Grand Prize “Alois Kotman” (2001), Honorary Prize from the University of Music and Performing Arts – Vienna (2005), etc.

Bozhidara has played as a soloist with many different orchestras, such as the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Prague Symphony Orchestra, the Montevideo Symphony Orchestra, the Sofia Philharmonic, the Plovdiv Philharmonic, the Bochuslav Martinu Philharmonic, the Bach Symphony Orchestra – Franc Piffoley, Vienna  Basel Orchestra, Graz Entertainment Orchestra, etc.  He regularly gives concerts and teaches in various master classes in Europe, North Africa, the USA, Asia and Australia.  Her discography includes more than 15 CDs recorded for various companies in the USA, Bulgaria and Austria.

She made her first CD recording in 1996 with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Naiden Todorov, where she performed Max Bruch’s First Violin Concerto.  Her latest CD with the Brahms Trio for Waldhorn and Violin Sonatas was awarded the Pasticho Prize by the Austrian National Radio OE1. She has a real passion for the various ancient and priceless instruments she plays (more than 15 different Stradivarius and Guarneri violins, as well as those produced by other master luthiers), kindly provided to her by private sponsors.  Works by many contemporary composers (Pericles Liakakis – “Melody” for solo violin; Peter Richter – Violin Concerto “Bozhidara”, Florian Mayer – “Vienna Waltz Caprise”, Julia Purgina – play “Frederick” for solo violin;  Sergio Navata – “Tangara” for violin and piano;  Thomas Wally – Violin Concerto “und ein einziger Ton weinte in einem Frühling!”  Tango ”;  Roland Fraisitzer – “Music for Violin and Three Instruments”). One of her current recording projects is called “EnSuite”, where she partners with violist Julia Purgina and performs a combination of contemporary works composed especially for this project and arrangements of works by Bach for two instruments.

Bozhidara is also a member of the Chrysler String Trio, the Quasari Chamber Ensemble, the Twentieth Century Ensemble, and the Collage and Reconcil Ensemble in Vienna.  For the last 10 years, Bozhidara Kuzmanova has been teaching a violin class at the Bach Music School in Vienna.  Since May 2017, he has held a position at the Vienna Academy of Music.  She currently plays a violin made by Postilione (1890), kindly provided to her by a private sponsor.

Her performances have been described by critics as “expressive and passionate, with reason but also with feelings”.  “It doesn’t just play, it makes you feel the inner energy of the music within you. Its precision is enriched with charm and elegance.”

MAX BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERT № 1 is one of the famous instrumental opuses of the 19th century, indicative of the instrumental aesthetics of the Romantic era with a combination of rich emotionality, drama, beautiful melody and virtuoso mastery.  The work matured gradually between 1866 and 1868. Its first performance in 1866 by Otto von Koenigslov under the direction of Bruch himself did not satisfy the author and he turned for advice to the great violinist Josef Joachim, with whose active participation the concert ended two years later. (The role of Joachim in the creation of Brahms’ violin concerto is similar).  The premiere of this edition was presented by Josef Joachim, this time under the baton of conductor Carl Martin Reinhalter, on January 5, 1868, in Bremen.  Bruch dedicated the Joachim Concerto and repeatedly emphasized in his letters his co-authorship in the birth of the work, which will remain one of the favourite masterpieces in the violin repertoire.