Ilina Ilieva - viola

Ilina Ilieva is a passionate violist who will always argue the saying that “The viola is the easier instrument” or “The violin is the virtuosic instrument and the viola can only play cantilenas”. With repertoire including the “three big” viola concertos-Bartok, Walton, Hindemith, also virtuosic pieces from Casimir Ney, Bartolomeo Campagnoli and Niccolo Paganini, Ilieva has started proving wrong any of that saying from very early age. Being soloist of the Baden-Baden Philharmoniker, “Sofia Soloists”, Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio and Sofia Philharmonic she had the chance to perform some of the most difficult pieces for viola and orchestra. Morever, she presented her debut CD “Viola la Musica” at the age of 20, which includes some of her favourite pieces for solo viola.

As an orchestra musician, Ms.Ilieva has performed on some of the most prestigious stages in the world- Royal Albert Hall, Concertgebouw, Musikverein, taking part in incredible festivals such as BBC Proms, Robbecco Summer Nights, Young Euro Classics. She has been the principal viola of EUYO for three years.

Ilieva’s chamber music experience, includes pieces for string quartet, sexteth, octet, piano quartet,quintet. Performing around Europe and Barbados she had the chance to perform treasures such as ShostakovichPiano Quintett, Quartett No.8, Dvorak-American Quartett, MendelssohnOctet and Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence”.

Holding a Bachelors and Masters degree from the National Academy of Music”Prof.Pancho Vladigerov”, Ilina Ilieva is now pursuing a Performance Diploma at the Jacobs School of Music.