My Favorites Bojidara Kouzmanova

• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): 5 Lieder, Op. 49:
• 1 No. 4, Wiegenlied (Arr. I. Buffa for Violin, Horn & Piano) 02:19
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563:
• 2 IV. Andante 07:08
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): 6 Piano Pieces, Op. 118:
• 3 No. 2, Intermezzo in A Major 05:37
• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828):
• 4 String Trio in B-Flat Major, D. 471 07:55
• Franz Lehár (1870 - 1948):
• 5 Die lustige Witwe: Lippen schweigen (Arr. B. Kouzmanová-Vladar for Violin & Piano) 02:26
• Fritz Kreisler (1875 - 1962):
• 6 Marche miniature viennoise (Arr. F. Jung for String Trio) 03:26
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Duo for Violin & Viola in B-Flat Major, K. 424:
• 7 II. Andante cantabile 03:07
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Goldberg Variations, BWV 988:
• 8 Variatio 25, à 2 clav. (Arr. D. Sitkovetsky for String Trio) 06:42
• Anonymous:
• 9 Hänsel und Gretel: Abends, will ich schlafen gehn (Arr. for Horn Quartet) 02:29
• Karl Pilß (1902 - 1979):
• 10 3 Pezzi in forma di sonata: I. Sinfonia 09:24
• Pancho Vladigerov (1899 - 1978): Bulgarian Suite, Op. 21:
• 11 II. Song 06:50
• Total Runtime 57:23

Info for My Favorites

There are few words that can describe what the violin means to me.

She is like a friend, though friendships change, so she is more than a friend. She is a faithful companion; a partner, with whom one has intense discussions. She has known me my whole life, and we have shared everything. Often, I have said that she is the only one who can always tolerate me. However, as much as I love her, it is not about her, but about the music. It is about what music expresses and conveys.

Music can understand, console, support, touch, unburden and delight. It can be thought-provoking, when we allow it to be. Music accompanies daily life, the thoughts of it occurring occasionally as an unwanted, persistent guest – but its presence has impact in our lives. In the moments when music cannot help – cannot offer consolation, nor under- standing, nor relief – it is a faithful companion. Sometimes full of emotion, other times very calm and quiet; music is a partner for life.

Music and making music can lead one to doubt and even despair – but also always to grow. Music allows us to engage ourselves in a dimension that is as substantive and necessary as the air that we breathe, but it’s not tangible. All that is the reason why I make music. For me, music is a direct path to the human soul. Music can affect realms where far more important things matter than appearances and success.

With this album, I would like to give you an in-depth look into my musical treasure chest, so that we may share diverse and wonderful moments with each other.

Bojidara Kouzmanova, violin

Bojidara Kouzmanova
A native Bulgarian, Bojidara Kouzmanova began to play the violin at the age of 5 in So a. Later on she nished her studies at the University of Music and Arts in Vienna with Prof. Günter Pichler. She has completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in solo violin performance with honors.

She won many national and international violin competitions in Europe and USA like „Bela Bartok“ Competition (1996), „Dobrin Petkov“ Violin Competition (1996), Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist Competition-Great Britain (2000), Hudson Valley String Com- petition-USA (2000), Grand Prix „Alois Kottmann“ from the City of Frankfurt (2001), Honour Prize from the University of Music and performing arts Vienna (2005) and others.

Ms. Kouzmanova played as a soloist with many different orchestras, like Brandenburger Symphoniker, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Montevideo Simphony Orchestra, So a Philharmonic Orchestra, Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra, Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra, Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, Bach Soloists Vienna, Kottmann String Players - Frankfurt, New Basel Symphony Orchestra, Recreation Orchestra Graz and others.

She gives regularly concerts and teaches on different master classes all over Europe, North Africa, USA, Asia and Australia.

There are more then 15 CDs in her discography, recorded for different companies in USA, Bulgaria and Austria. Her latest CD with Brahms horn trio and Brahms violin Sonatas received the “Pasticcio Prize” of the National Radio OE1 in Austria.

Her passions are the different old, precious instruments she plays (more then 15 different Stradivarius and Guarneri Violins as well as violins from other violin makers) kindly given to her from private sponsors.

Many composers dedicated pieces to Kouzmanova (Perikles Liakakis “Tune” for solo violin, Peter Richter “Bojidara” violin concerto, Florian Meyer “Vienna Waltz Caprise”, Julia Purgina “Frederick” for solo violin, Sergio Navata “Tangara” for Violin and Piano, Thomas Wally “und ein einziger Ton weinte in einem Frühling!” Violin Concerto, Manuela Kerer “PLAS” for solo violin and ensemble Roumen Dimitrov “Solo for violin” and “Tango”, Roland Freisitzer “Music for violin and three instruments” ). One of the current CD projects is called “ EnSuite” with the violist Julia Purgina, with a combination of contemporary pieces composed specially for this project and Bach arrangements for two instruments.

She is also a member of Kreisler String Trio, Ensemble Quasars, Ensemble of the XX Century, Ensemble Collage and Reconsil, Vienna.

For the last 10 years Ms. Kouzmanova is teaching a violin class at the Bach Music School in Vienna. Since May 2017 she holds a position at the Vienna Music Academy. Currently she plays on a violin made by Postiglione (1890), kindly given to her from a private sponsor.

Booklet for My Favorites