3 July

The creative activity of the PLEVEN CHAMBER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA has been linked with the rich music history of the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra. Participation in prestigious national and international festivals (Katya Popova Laureate Days, Sofia Music Days, New Bulgarian Music), recordings for the Bulgarian National Radio and TV and the concert tours in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, etc. are only a small part of the creative biography of the orchestra.

PLAMEN MARKOV has appeared as conductor at national and international music events and festivals. He has conducted Varna, Pleven, Vidin, Shumen philharmonic orchestras and several chamber formations. He has realized tours in Hungary, Spain, Germany, Greece and France. Since 1995 he has been conductor of the chamber orchestra Brevis at the Music School in Pleven. Since 1999 he has been principle guest-conductor of the Youth Symphony Orchestra at the Conservatory Odio Voreo Ellados.

PHILIPPE CUPER, born in Lille (1957), is one of the best representatives of the famous French School of clarinet playing. He was fortunate to attend various summer schools taught by Jaques Lancelot. Cuper graduated at the Paris Conservatoire. Since 1984, he has worked as a Premier Soloist with the Paris Opera Orchestra and has played in other renowned orchestras and ensembles in Paris. He has performed under the baton of J. E. Gardiner, Z. Mehta, S. Ozawa, L. Maazel, P. Boulez, Pretre and Barenboim, and has performed chamber music with well known musicians. Philippe Cuper has won an impressive list of prizes at major international competitions in Verscelli, Geneva, Munich, and Prague, and is currently on the panel of the Munich Contest. He has participated at the festivals in Montreux, Prague, London, Rio, and other cities, where he has performed with various orchestras. Cuper has given masterclasses in the USA, Lisbon, Prague, Japan. He currently teaches at the Versailles Conservatoire.

ILIAN MARKOV has graduated from the Varna School of Music and later from P. Vladigerov State Music Academy. He is prize winner of the competitions Svetoslav Obretenov, 1300 years Bulgaria, Usti nad Labem, Senigalia, Clermont Ferrand. After taking part in Margarita Long International Competition in 1989, he won a scholarship for 2-year specialization at Ecole Normale in Paris. Since 1991 he has lived and worked in France, extensively taking part in the concert events as soloist and in piano duo with Yanita Markova. He teaches piano at the Conservatory in Maurepas and is a rehearsal piano player at the Conservatory in Versailles.

YANITA MARKOVA won 3rd prize and the Prize of audience at the International Chamber Music Competition in Clermont Ferrand (France, 1990) in piano duo with Ilian Markov. She specialized under Prof. Klodin Melon, Prof. Bashkirov. She appears as solo and piano duo performer at a number of festivals in France, Bulgaria... In 2001 she performed concertos for 2,3,4 pianos by J. S. Bach with Bruno Riguto, Ilian Markov, Jacques Rouvier. Since 1993 she has been a professor in piano at the Conservatory in Sevre, France.

TSVETNITSA FOLK SONGS CHOIR was established in 1985 at Asen Zlatarov Cultural Club in Varna. Atanas Iliev, art director and conductor of the choir looks for women singers who love the folk songs and are experienced in choral singing, wishing to work in group for adapted folklore songs. Choir’s repertoire includes more than 25 solo, chamber, choral and acapella songs, among them orthodox chants and songs with organ accompaniment. The Choir has the ambition to extend its repertoire with adopted folklore works, created by eminent composers in this genre.

ATANAS ILIEV graduated at the Music Academy in Sofia. He has worked as conductor and music editor and hold a TV broadcast as well. Member of the Union of Bulgarian Composers, author of a number of choral, orchestral, solo and chamber works, theater and dance music.