May 09 , 2019 /Thursday/
18.30 hours Hall “M-Ro G.Atanasov”
Conductor: GRIGOR PALIKAROV
Soloists: Masters of the Vocal faculty of the National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”
Program:
Arias and duets by G. Handel, G. Donizetti, V. Bellini, G.Rossini, G. Verdi, G. Puccini, P. Tchaikovsky
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GRIGOR PALIKAROV
Grigor Palikarov (born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 1971) graduated from the National Music Academy – Sofia with Master of Music Degree in: Orchestral Conducting with Prof. Vassil Kazandzhiev and Prof. Ivan Voulpe, Composition with Prof. D. Tapkov, Piano with Prof. Kr. Tasskov and Choral Conducting with Prof. St. Kralev. Later on he continued his composition study during two Summer Academies in Austria with Erich Urbanner (Professor at University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna).
His debut as an opera conductor was in April 1994 (at the age of 22) with Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at two major opera houses in Bulgaria.
In 1998-1999 season Grigor Palikarov made his first appearance on the stage of the National Opera and Ballet – Sofia, conducting a Gala-concert with the special participation of the famous Bulgarian opera singer Ghena Dimitrova† upon her personal invitation. Later on he has made many concerts and performances with other world famous opera singers like Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Elena Obraztsova†, Krassimira Stoyanova, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Kurt Rydl, Alexandrina Milcheva, Nadia Krasteva, Nickola Giuzelev† etc.
From January 2000 until April 2019 Mr. Palikarov worked as a full-time conductor at the National Opera and Ballet – Sofia, conducting a rich variety of repertoire. It includes more than 60 opera and ballet titles by Mozart, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Weber, Verdi, Wagner, Ponchielli, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Puccini, Gounod, Delibes, Bizet, Borodin, Rimsky–Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiew, Orff, Bulgarian classical and contemporary composers etc.
Now Maestro Palikarov teaches orchestral conducting at the National Academy of Music “Prof. P. Vladigerov” – Sofia, where he has defended his Doctor of Music Degree in June 2017 and has been appointed as full-time Associate Professor since April 2019.
Since the beginning of 2005/06 season Mr. Palikarov has also taken the position of Managing and Artistic director and conductor of the Symphony orchestra – Pazardzhik and since September 2008 he is also the principal conductor of “Classic FM” Symphony orchestra – Sofia.
In the following years he has made concerts and performances with many famous soloists like the members of Vienna Philharmonic: Albena Danailova (concertmaster), Wolfgang Schulz†, Franz Bartolomey, Dieter Flury, Robert Nagy, Glenn Dicterow (former concertmaster of New York Philharmonic, Svetlin Roussev (concertmaster of the French National Radio orchestra) and others.
Nowadays Mr. Palikarov is often invited as a guest – conductor of many orchestras, opera theatres and national and international music festivals in Bulgaria and abroad, including countries like Germany, Austria, Belgium (with the National Orchestra of Belgium), France, Finland, Italy (with many orchestras), Luxemburg, Poland (with many orchestras), Portugal, Macedonia, Greece, Slovenia (with the National Opera and Ballet – Ljubljana), Romania, Switzerland, Taiwan (with Century Orchestra – Taipei and on a tour with Sofia Opera and Ballet), Russia (with State opera Krasnoyarsk and Yekaterinburg Musical College orchestra), Ukraine, UK, USA (with Opera – Cleveland), South Korea (with “Janacek” Philharmonic – Czech Republic), Japan, Uruguay (with the National SODRE orchestra – Montevideo), Mexico (with UANL orchestra – Monterrey and Orquesta Sinfonica de Yucatan – Merida), China (with Xiamen Philharmonic) etc. His debut in USA has been mentioned by the critics there as one of the most important musical events for year 2009 for Ohio State. Grigor Palikarov also makes regular recordings of orchestral pieces, opera arias and ensembles as a guest conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio. Some of his recordings can be found on CDs and DVDs produced by different companies.
Together with his conducting activities, Mr. Palikarov composes music and plays as a piano soloist with different orchestras in Bulgaria. He is a prizewinner of many national and international piano and composition competitions. Some of his works were performed at music festivals and recorded at the National Radio – Sofia.
Grigor Palikarov is also a certified member of MENSA (the international organization of highly intelligent people) and has been a Chairman of its Bulgarian branch for two consecutive mandates.
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May 16 , 2019 /Thursday/
18.30 hours Hall “M-Ro G.Atanasov”
Conductor: Piotr Sulkowski /Poland/
Soloist: Dimitris Pharmakis – piano /Greece/
Program:
L. van Beethoven – Concerto for piano and orchestra №3, op.37
A. Dvorak – Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”, op.95
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Piotr Sulkowski
Piotr Sulkowski since 2011 the General and Artistic Director of the Warmia and Masuria Philharmonic.
He holds an extensive opera experience gained during his service as a Conductor (1995 – 2007) and later as the Artistic Director of the Cracow Opera (2006-07) and the Music Director of the Wildwood Opera Festival in Little Rock, Arkansas (USA). He prepared a number of opera premieres, including several world premieres. For example, in 2007, during the Polish Music Festival, being part of the Szymanowski Year, he gave the world premiere of yet unknown K. Szymanowski’s The Lottery for Husbands operetta and recorded it in co-operation with the Polish Music Publishing House (PWM). The Rape of Lucretia, by B. Britten, produced by Sulkowski in 2004, was recognized as the best performance of the year at the Bydgoszcz Opera Festival. Sulkowski co-founded the Cracow Chamber Opera and staged several productions there. In 2008-09, he worked as the Deputy Director of the Polish Radio Choir. Since 2009 to 2011 he was Artistic Director of the Torun Symphonic Orchestra. Since 2008 to 2014 the First Guest Conductor of the Signature Symphony Orchestra in Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA).
Sulkowski has been co-operating with many orchestras and teaching as well at Music Academy in Cracow and of conducting at the Bydgoszcz Academy of Music. Since 1993, he has conducted the Orchestra of the F. Chopin State Secondary School of Music in Cracow with which he travels to France to run educational programmes for the French youth. In 2008, he conducted the Jubilee Concert on the Cracow’s Market Square, with the internationally renowned artist, G. Zamfir. In 2010, he conducted a concert in the church of Saint Peter and Paul in Krakow, which inaugurated its Foundation National Pantheon. Sulkowski also produced the soundtrack with B. Chajdecki’s music for The Time of Honour historical film series.
In 2010, in Pamplona (Spain) he prepared the premiere of Bizet’s Carmen with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Navarra and the Asociación Amigos de la Gayarre Ópera with very good critics. In 2010 he also prepared the production of Beethoven’s Fidelio – Memory of the Holocaust project, which took place in main polish cities. In 2011, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Warmia and Masuria travelled to Spain, where in Bilbao and Pamplona under his leadership was prepared performances of Puccini’s Tosca. In 2012, with the same orchestra and soloist Eduard Kunz began at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw series Great Piano Concertos. In 2011 he received his Ph.D. in 2015 habilitated doctor and in 2017 the associate professor of musical arts. In 2016 he led many concerts with the winners of the International Violin Competition. H. Wieniawski in Poland and at the International Violin Festival in St. Petersburg also with Maxim Vengerov. He undertakes many activities promoting Feliks Nowowiejski’s work. As part of the celebration of the Year of Feliks Nowowiejski 2016 he performed concerts with the oratorio “Quo Vadis” with the Orchestra of the Warmia and Masuria Philharmonic, Górecki Chamber Choir in Cracow, Barczewo, and in Warsaw. At the National Philharmonic there were outstanding Metropolitan Opera soloists: Aleksandra Kurzak, Artur Ruciński and Rafał Siwek with whom the recording was made.
Member of the Program Council of Radio Olsztyn (2012 – 2016). Sulkowski received award from the President of Olsztyn Statuette of St. James in the field of culture for the year 2012. In 2013, Warmia and Masuria Business Club, for the arts and popularizing classical music among the inhabitants of the their region, said Sulkowski title and a statue of Personality of Warmia and Masuria in the category of culture. Vice president of the board Polish Philharmonic Association. By 2014, conducted by P. Sulkowski Philharmonic Warmia – Masuria received a statuette Laurel “Best of the Best” for achievements and successes of the scale nationwide and internationally for the promotion of Warmia and Masuria in 2013. In 2014 he was awarded the medal Gloria Artis by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. In 2015, for “creative achievements in the field of culture Warmia and Masuria” he was awarded the Governor of Warmia – Masuria statue of Pegasus. Honored with the Silver Cross of Merit (2016).
Dimitris Farmakis
Born in Athens in 1996. He has the Diploma of Hellenic Conservatory of Athens (excellence, 1st prize and Gold medal) and “Diplôme de virtuosité” of Schola Cantorum in Paris (excellence), under the professor and pianist Agathe Leimoni.
He has attended masterclasses with famous professors at international academies: Gnessin (Moscow), (Yuri Bogdanov, Sergei Senkov) , Primavera Pianistica (Belgium) (Aquilles Delle Vigne, Vladimir Tropp, Michael Wladkowski) , Summer Piano Academy (Poros) ( Lilia Boyadjieva , Igor Petrin, Rafael Salinas.) etc.
He has participated in many national and international competitions, awarded with the 1st prize at the piano competition of YMFE (Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe) (Athens, 2017), 1st prize at the Internaional piano competition “Citta di Spoleto” (Italy, 2016), 1st prize international piano competition “Citta di Airola” (Italy, 2015), 1st prize international competition of the Academy Pianistica Primaver in Castle D ‘Ursel (Belgium, 2014), 1st Prize and Excellence in National Competition of “X.O.N.” (2014) (category 17 to 25 years), 2nd prize in the National Competition of Thessaloniki Piano Festival. (2015), 1st prize (four hands with Stathis Papadiamantopoulos) at the international competition Concosro Mandanici (Italy) (2015).
He has given solo recitals.
-In Greece: Athens Concert Hall,Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Concert hall ” Parnassos” ,Theocharakis hall, An Art Artistry, Nakas concert hall, International Piano Academy of Poros, Half note, 3rd radio Program (ERT) live.
-In other Countries: Castle D’Ursel (Belgium), Music School Tchaikovsky (Moscow), Museum Scriabin (Moscow), Barcelona (Italy), Catania (Sicily), Airola (Napoli), Mayenne (France), Spoleto (Italy).
In 2014 he played as a Solist with the National Symphony Orchestra of ERT third program (radio, TV ) the triple concerto Beethoven Op.56 , Conductor: Elias Voudouris.
He has also played with the orchestra Sinfonietta of Athens under the direction of George Aravidis and with the Orchestra of the Conservatory of Thessaloniki (2nd Beethoven Concerto).
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May 23 , 2019 /Thursday/
18.30 hours Hall “M-Ro G.Atanasov”
Сonductor: Marlon Daniel /USA/
Soloist: Jean Alexis Moueza – soprano / France /
Program:
F. Mendelssohn – Overture “Hebrides “
H. Berlioz – “Summer nights” – vocal cycle, op.7
Saint-Georges – Three romances and Ernestina’s aria
J. Brahms – Variations on a theme of Haydn, op.56
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MARLON DANIEL – CONDUCTOR
PRIZEWINNER AT THE 2018
BUCHAREST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
INTERNATIONAL CONDUCTING COMPETITION
ENSEMBLE DU MONDE
Music Director
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE MUSIQUE SAINT-GEORGES
Artistic and Music Director
ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA NACIONAL DE CUBA
Guest Conductor
PAZARDZHIK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Guest Conductor
Following in the footsteps of legendary American Maestro Dean Dixon, conductor Marlon Daniel is a protégé of Finnish conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula, who has produced talents such as Mikko Franck, Hannu Lintu, Susanna Mälkki and Esa-Pekka Salonen, to name a few. Described as “a natural and enormous talent” by the Chicago Sun-Times and as “fabulous and exceptional” by Pravda – Moscow, Marlon Daniel is one of the most dynamic conductors of his generation and is a bright light for diversity in classical music. He has performed in prestigious venues in Europe and the United States, from Carnegie Hall in New York to the Rudolfinum in Prague, and in several international music festivals. Recently, he successfully débuted with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra, Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Cuba, where he was the first and only African American conductor invited since President Obama lifted the U.S. embargo of Cuba in 2015. A laureate of the 2018 Bucharest Symphony Orchestra International Conducting Competition, he has also won the ‘Voice of the Artist’ Award from the United Nations in recognition of his charitable work bringing awareness to the crisis in Darfur; an Honorary Key to the City of Chicago for Outstanding Musical Achievement; a Rose Hanus Fellowship; the Mabel Henderson Memorial Grant for Foreign Experience; the John and Mary Virginia Foncannon Conducting Award; and the James and Lola Faust Fellowship, which allowed him to receive advice from Sir Simon Rattle at the Berliner Philharmonie and later, from Iván Fischer at the Beethovenfest Bonn. He has worked with international artists including Rachel Barton-Pine, Yuriy Bekker, J’Nai Bridges, Janinah Burnett, Soloman Howard, Sami Junnonen, Koh Gabriel Kameda, Julian Milkis, Magali Léger, Kristin Lewis, Norm Lewis, Phylicia Rashād, Eric Silberger, Russell Thomas and Deborah Voigt. He received his formative education in Europe and the United States and is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music (United States) and the Prague Academy (Czech Republic). He also earned diplomas from Le Conservatoire Américain – Fontainebleau (France) and Centro de Estudios Musicales Isaac Albéniz – Reina Sofía (Spain). His conducting teachers have included Jiří Bělohlávek, David Gilbert, Tomáš Koutník, Miriam Němcová and Jorma Panula. A champion of contemporary music, he has conducted many world premiere performances of works by living composers, especially those of African descent. His recording “Phoenix Forever” (music of Hampson Sisler) on the MSR Classics label received rave reviews and was in consideration for a 2011 GRAMMY. Mr. Daniel is former Artistic Director of the International Festival of Composers of African and Afro-Caribbean Descent in The Bahamas, Associate Conductor of the Praga Sinfonietta and Associate Conductor of the Sofia Sinfonietta. He was also Director of the Diversity in Classical Music Program at Columbia University Teachers College and was a Guest Lecturer at Yale University in 2016. Currently, he is Artistic and Music Director of the Festival International de Musique Saint-Georges, Music Director of Ensemble du Monde (chamber orchestra) and has three recordings under the MSR Classics label.
Coretta JEAN-ALEXIS MOUEZA – Soprano
A rising star on the French lyric scene, soprano Coretta JEAN-ALEXIS MOUEZA sang in Europe and the United States. She studied music at the Regional Conservatory of Rueil-Malmaison where she obtained her degrees in piano and violin and also at the University of Paris IV Sorbonne and obtained the CAPES of musical education. In 2011, she also won the first International Lyric Singing Prize at the Paris Conservatoire after studying for ten years with Fatima Santiago-Benjamin.
In 2017, she won the “Talents des Outre-mer” award (CASODOM and Ministry of Overseas). She also participated in masterclasses of Christiane Eda-Pierre, Elena Golgevit and Rachel Lojendio in Europe and the United States of Mickael Fennelly and Wei-En Hsu at the National Opera Center – OPERA America.
Mrs. JEAN-ALEXIS MOUEZA frequently performs in festivals or recitals in Guadeloupe, Martinique and France. She is a member of Carib’Opera where, in 2018, she performed the Second Lady in Mozart’s Magic Flute.
Most recently she performed as soloist for the opening concert of the Festival International de Musique SAINT-GEORGES.