Lora Markova - violin

Lora Markova begins her musical journey at the tender age of five, under the guidance of Blagorodna Taneva at the National School of Music “Lyubomir Pipkov” in Sofia, Bulgaria. Since 2022, she has been refining her artistry under the mentorship of Prof. Kolja Blacher at the prestigious Academy of Music “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin. Her regular participation in masterclasses of renowned musicians and pedagogues introduces her to Prof. Boris Garlitsky who has been a strong influence and mentor for the young violinist in the years of 2024 and 2025.

From a young age, Lora distinguished herself in the competitive arena, securing major prizes from esteemed competitions including the “Andrea Postacchini” and “Piccolo Violino” in Italy, the “Anton Rubinstein” in Germany, and the “Odesa” in Ukraine. In 2020, Lora achieved a significant milestone by winning First Prize at the International Violin Competition “Leonid Kogan” in Brussels, followed by another First Prize at the “Tibor Varga Junior” Violin Competition in Switzerland in 2021. These accolades have opened doors to multiple concert opportunities and a coveted invitation by the Swiss Artist Agency “AMG Rising Stars” to perform recitals in Basel and Geneva.

Lora's solo career has seen her grace the stages of numerous prestigious festivals and venues. Her performances include the “Colourful Days” in Frankfurt, Germany, “Musica Mundi” in Belgium, and the renowned “Treasures” at Carnegie Hall in New York. She has also captivated audiences across France, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, and Austria, collaborating with esteemed conductors such as Domenico Mason, Giancarlo Guarino, Leonid Kerbel, Grigor Palikarov, Marek Šedivý, Viliana Valcheva and Alexander Gordon. In 2024 Lora makes her debut as a soloist of the Sofia Philharmonic orchestra.

Beyond her solo work, Lora’s passion for chamber music has led her to participate in prominent music festivals such as the Gstaad Menuhin Academy in Switzerland, the Lead Festival in Finland, the Stradivari Fest in Switzerland, the Allegra Festival in Bulgaria, and the NiederlenzerMusiktage in Switzerland. Her artistic journey has brought her to the stage alongside distinguished musicians such as Boris Garlitsky, Thomas Riebl, Alexander Zemtsov, Andrey Baranov, Stefan Tarara, Sergey Malov, and Kyril Zlotnikov, as well as members of the Stradivari Quartet.

A testament to her extraordinary talent and potential, Lora was awarded the Leonidas Kavakos Scholarship in 2021. She currently performs on a 1869 violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, generously provided to her by the “Villa Musica” Foundation in Germany.