About me:

22 year old Musician from Sofia, Bulgaria Lora Markova, an acclaimed Bulgarian violinist, embarked on her musical journey at the tender age of five at the National Music School “Lyubomir Pipkov” in Sofia, studying under the guidance of Blagorodna Taneva. From the outset, her exceptional talent and unwavering dedication distinguished her as one of the most promising violinists of her generation. Since 2022, she has been further refining her artistry under the mentorship of the renowned Professor Kolja Blacher at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin.

Her early accomplishments in national competitions laid the foundation for a remarkable career. She earned top honors in contests such as “Young Virtuosos” (2013), “Dobrin Petkov” (2013), and “Nedyalka Simeonova” (2014), followed by Grand Prix awards at “Music and Earth” (2018) and “Hopes, Masters, Talents” (2019). On the international stage, Lora has achieved outstanding recognition, receiving awards at distinguished competitions including “Andrea Postacchini” and “Piccolo Violino” in Italy, “Anton Rubinstein” in Germany, and “Odesa” in Ukraine. In 2020, she was awarded First Prize at the Leonid Kogan International Violin Competition in Brussels, and in 2021 she captured First Prize at the prestigious Tibor Varga Junior Violin Competition in Switzerland. These accolades have led to invitations to perform across Europe and special engagements with the Swiss artist agency AMG Rising Stars, appearing in cities such as Basel and Geneva.

As a soloist, Lora has mesmerized audiences at premier international festivals and concert halls, including “Colorful Days of Bulgaria” in Germany, Musica Mundi in Belgium, and Treasures of Bulgaria at Carnegie Hall in New York. She has performed extensively in France, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, and Austria, collaborating with eminent conductors like Domenico Mason, Giancarlo Guarino, Leonid Kerbel, Marek Šedivý, and Alexander Gordon.

In Bulgaria, she is a highly sought-after soloist, performing with major philharmonic orchestras in Pleven, Vidin, Vratsa, Shumen, Sliven, and Sofia. She has shared the stage with distinguished conductors including Emil Tabakov, Grigor Palikarov, Yordan Kamdzhalov, Maxim Eshkenazy, and Pavel Zlatarov, solidifying her status as a leading figure in the Bulgarian classical music scene.

Chamber music plays a central role in Lora’s artistic identity. She frequently collaborates with both her contemporaries and established musicians at prominent festivals throughout Germany, Finland, Switzerland, and Bulgaria. Her duo with cellist Syon Najman has earned First Prizes at the “Music and Earth” and “Cantus Firmus” competitions in Sofia, along with the Special Prize from the Bohuslav Martinu Foundation at the Concertino Praga International Competition. Their 2023 concert tour included acclaimed performances in Prague, Paris, Berlin, Antwerp, and Sofia.

Lora is a regular participant at prestigious international festivals such as the Gstaad Menuhin Academy in Switzerland, the Lead Festival in Finland, Stradivari Fest in Switzerland, Allegra Festival in Bulgaria, and Niederlenzer Musiktage in Switzerland. She has performed alongside world-renowned artists including Boris Garlitsky, Thomas Riebl, Alexander Zemtsov, Andrey Baranov, Stefan Tarara, Sergey Malov, Kyril Zlotnikov, and members of the Stradivari Quartet.

In recognition of her exceptional talent, Lora was awarded the Leonidas Kavakos Scholarship in 2021. She currently performs on a rare 1869 violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, generously provided by the Villa Musica Foundation in Germany.

Lora Markova continues to redefine her artistry, seamlessly blending her rich Bulgarian heritage with a contemporary, visionary approach, establishing herself as a distinctive and influential presence on the global classical music stage.