Born in Bulgaria in 1970 into a family of musicians, still a child, Vesko appeared as an orchestra leader. At 11 years old he became concertmaster of the youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Prof. Vladi Simeonov. He is a graduate of the L. Pipkov National Music School in Sofia and of the P. Vladiguerov State Music Academy where he studied violin with Angelina Atanazzova and Prof. Petar Hristoskov.
In 1990, Vesko Eschkenazy left Bulgaria for London and completed a two year Masters Degree for solo performers with Prof. Ifra Neaman at the Guildhall School of Music, and received a Solo Recital Diploma – 1992. He is a laureate of the International Violin Competitions “Wieniawski” , Beijing and Carl Flesch in London. He performs extensively in Europe, USA, South America, India, China and takes part in the festivals Midem in Cannes, Montpellier and Atlantic – France, the Music Festivals in Nantes and Rheims, the New Year Music Festival in Sofia, Varna Summer and Apolonia.
Vesko Eschkenazy has performed as soloist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Mexico City Symphony, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Bach Chamber Orchestra – Berlin to name a few. He has taken part in concerts alongside Montserrat Caballe, Placido Domingo, Alexis Weissenberg, Yuri Bashmet, and Mstislav Rostropovich and has played under the direction of Mariss Jansons, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly, Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Carlo-Maria Giulini, Seiji Ozawa, and Emil Tchakarov.
Each concert season is extremely full of engagements for Vesko Eschkenazy; some of his most outstanding performances were that of the Violin Concerto by Mozart in A major under Mariss Jansons, and the Dvorak Violin Concerto under Sir Colin Davis and coming up in November 2008 performances of the Barber violin concerto conducted by Jaap van Zweden, all with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In April-May 2009 Eschkenazy performed extensively with his brother, the conductor Martin Panteleev, with whom he performed the Dvorak violin concerto with Orkest van het Oosten, Mozart a major concerto Nr.5 with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra and many other woks. The two brothers accomplished a tour to Sofia and Istanbul with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra in the same time.
Vesko Eschkenazy records for the Dutch Pentatone Classics CD label, his recording with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra of violin concertos by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Schubert received the highest appraisal of the critics. On this occasion the Luister Magazine, Holland remarks: “Vesko Eschkenazy writes history with his new super recording for the Pentatone Classics of the violin concertos by Mozart and Mendelssohn”. Michael Libovits (USA’s Classics Today), adds: “he tackles Mozart with brilliance; Schubert with a stable phrasing … his warm, well rounded tone competes with any other recording of a famous violinist …”
In 1995 Vesko Eschkenazy joined the pianist Ludmil Angelov to perform sonata duos. They have given a large number of concerts in Europe, exceptionally successful and warmly accepted were those by the Spanish audiences (in the cities of Gijon, Toledo and Madrid). This was a project of the Vesko Eschkenazy – Ludmil Angelov Duo presenting, in four successive evening cycles, the complete Mozart sonatas for violin and piano. Their joint Russian Music CD has been released by the Gega New Music House. Their second album “The fascinating George Gershwin” has been released by Pentatone Classics. In October 2007 the musicians performed a recital in a sold-out “Bulgaria Hall” in Sofia, broadcast live by Bulgarian national television.
The 2010/2011 season Vesko started with open air performance in the very centre of Sofia with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra gathering the largest audience for classical concert ever. In the same season he will be artist in residence in the Bulgaria Hall in Sofia with 4 recitals and performance of the Bruch violin concerto in g minor with the Sofia Philharmonic. The same work he will perform with the Royal Concertgebouw
Orchestra and Kurt Masur in the 2011/2012 season.
Since the summer of 2000 Vesko Eschkenazy has been playing a Guarneri del Gesu violin from 1738, the property of an anonymous sponsor in The Netherlands.
Stefka Evstatieva is a lyrico – dramatic soprano. The lyric and the dramatic nuances of her voice allow her to express easily and in a brilliant way the lyric and dramatic moods of the parts she sings. She has always tried to characterize truthfully the styles of the individual authors, which offered her the possibility to perform in masterpieces such as Don Carlos, Un Ballo in Maschera, Otello, Il Trovatore, La Forza del Destino Aida, Tosca, La Boheme, Adriana Lequevreur, Andrea Chenier, Mafistofele, Eugeni Onegin, Don Giovanni, Queen of Spades, Cavalleria Rusticana, and others.
Opera lovers from around the world had the privilege to listen to Ms. Evstatieva’s performances at Metropoliten Opera, La Scala, Covent Garden, Paris Grand Opera, Teatro Colon, Vienna State Opera, Arena di Verona, Toronto, Montreal, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, Washington D.C. etc.
Recordings include: Sony – Price Igor (Borodin), Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky); Fidelio – Vera Sheloga and Snow Maiden (R. Korsakov); Naxos – Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascani); Laserlight Classics – Mefistoffele (Boito); Balkanton – Don Carlos (Verdi); Recital / Selected Arias (3 CD).
Since 1989 Ms. Evstatieva has been living in the United States of America. Her teaching experience includes private instruction, master classes and pedagogy as Vocal Instructor – Artist in Residence at Bethun – Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Florida. She has juried several International competitions and is a member of NATS and NOA.
She participated in all important festivals as in our country, as well as in more than 40 countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, Australia. Her repertoire includes standards, plays by contemporary jazz-composers, Bulgarian, Turkish and Gypsy folk songs, and also Russian romances.
During the period between 1979 and 2003 Yildiz issued fifteen successful albums. After a break of several years, in 2006 she presented the project “30 years on stage” – a double CD that collects some of her best performances in two thematic sections “Classics & Jazz” and “Balkanatolia”. The singer’s latest album is called “Back To My Love” and has a deep personal dedication.
There are many awards that the singer has received over the years. In 1998 she won the Vocalist of the Year award of the Turkish magazine “Jazz”. In the same year she was awarded the “Balart” prize of the “Bulgarian spirituality” association – for outstanding contribution to the integration of the Balkan culture to the world one. She won the highest award of the Union of Musicians and Dancers in Bulgaria – “Crystal Lyre”. And at the Global Forum for ecology and social development in Yohannesburg – South Africa in 2002 she was a special ambassador of the United Nations. There she gave a concert where represented Bulgaria and Turkey. One of her recent accolades was the award for her outstanding contribution to the development of jazz and best jazz promotion in 2009 at the International Jazz Festival “Nishville.”
International soloist Suzanna Klincharova performs regularly in Europe, the USA, Asia and the Middle East.
As an invited guest of many famous orchestras: the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, the National Orchestra of Belgium, The Sofia Philharmonic, the San Francisco Chamber Symphony, the Alpes Provence Cote d’Azur Orchestra, the Antwerp Philharmony, the Sofia Radio and TV Orchestra, the National Orchestra of the Philippines, the Antwerp Chamber Orchestra, the Sofia Soloists, the Kansai Philharmonic-Osaka, the Bach-collegium, the Orchestra of Liege…she is appreciated for her talent and for her wide repertory of harp concertos.
The number of her recordings increases steadily and they are released all over the world. An important part of her repertory, as well as interviews and films, has been recoded and broadcasted on TV and radio stations.
Her annual recitals at Carnegie Hall, are an opportunity for Suzanna Klintcharova to introduce the new releases of her discography
Supporting the contemporary music creation she has premiered and recorded numerous important pieces for harp, some of which have been dedicated to her. Her interest in improvisation and contemporary jazz has been accomplished in a duo with Steve Lacy.
Her annual recitals at Carnegie Hall, are an opportunity for Suzanna Klintcharova to introduce the new releases of her discography .
Supporting the contemporary music creation she has premiered and recorded numerous important pieces for harp, some of which have been dedicated to her. Her interest in improvisation and contemporary jazz has been accomplished in a duo with Steve Lacy.
She is a member of CDMC in Paris.
Born in Sofia, Suzanna Klincharova is established in Paris and New York.
During her brilliant studies in Bulgaria National High Conservatory, Brussels Royal Conservatory with Susanna Mildonian and in Paris – specializing French music with Pierre Jamet, she became laureate of national and international harp contests.
Parallel to her concert career she got involved with harp teaching. Some of her students hold positions in prominent orchestras and schools of music around the world. She is teaching in Conservatoire de Neuilly in Paris.
Suzanna Klintcharova has an important contribution in the research and transcription of harp music.
Member of most prestigious harp contest’s jury, she gives regularly master classes in Europe and The USA.
A project of hers has been realized and performed for ten years with the educational section of the Mairie de Paris.
Suzanna Klincharova is the president of the ArtFusion cultural association in Paris.