The conclusive concert of the participants in the class for piano interpretation and chamber music led by Prof. Milena Mollova is due on 20 June. The project has been carried out by the Department of Music at New Bulgarian University. The course has been strongly supported by the leadership of the Lubomir Pipkov National School of Music who have offered to host the conclusive concert.

Let us recall that Prof. Mollova is one of Bulgaria’s leading instrumentalists and pedagogues. Her debut with the Sofia Philharmonic was when she was 13, as she played Concerto for Piano No. 3 by Beethoven with conductor Sasha Popov. At the very start of her piano training she was lucky to work with acclaimed musicians such as Dimitar Nenov and Panka Pelishek. Mollova graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Emil Gilels. The pianist has won prizes at some of the most prestigious competitions in the world and has been active giving concerts for more than 6 decades. Prof. Milena Mollova has an impressive record as pedagogue.

“For many years I was leading the Department of Music at New Bulgarian University and I am now a regular professor”, Prof. Mollova says. “This academic year I received an invitation to lead a class in piano interpretation and chamber music. I accepted with great pleasure. At first we had 20 university and high school students but some of them could not keep up the rhythm. Indeed, it is not easy for them – every month we organize a concert with a different repertoire. Now I have 12 – 13 brilliant young performers with whom we should hold the conclusive concert in one of the best chamber halls in Sofia – the concert hall of the National School of Music. I must say that students really enjoy the classes. For them it is a different look at interpretation. Apart from the soloists at the concert, a few chamber formations will be presented as well – three piano duos, as well as a piano trio. I strongly hope that I am useful not only to young performers but also to the policy of New Bulgarian University for promoting art to wider circles. The financial support for the course has been provided by the Strategic Development Fund at the NBU Board of Trustees.”

Prof. Mollova presented some of the young performers, as well as the repertoire prepared by them:

“We have selected some interesting stuff. For example, the duo Anastasia Krastanova and Daria Petrova will perform the cycle Children’s Games (Jeux D'Enfants)by Georges Bizet. It is little known that the master of opera wrote those works for piano. These are quite challenging pieces. The duo Angela Todorova and Yana Petrova will play Ma Mère l'Oye (Mother Goose) by Maurice Ravel: wonderful music created for four hands and then orchestrated by the author. I do not want to omit the trio of Angela Todorova (piano), Eva Gigova (violin) and Simeon Shindarov (cello). They have been playing together for some time now and their talents have merged in a brilliant way. My purpose is to encourage young musicians to express their views about the works which they perform, even contrary to common opinion.”

English Daniela Konstantinova