“…Those strings were vibrating even before her bow caressed them. This was extremely heartfelt Brahms…Ms. Donkova did an excellent job of phrasing and pacing throughout. In the Andante, the flowing melodies were ribbons of infinitude; by mid-movement, her violin was weeping as were several members of the audience…”
Fred Kirshnit, The New York Sun

ABOUT

Violinist Lilia Donkova stands out for her expressive playing and sincere musical voice, both in solo and chamber music. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and granddaughter of composer and professor Bentzion Eliezer, she graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied with Professor Lydia Mordkovitch.Soon after completing her studies, Lilia made her debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, followed two years later by a performance at the Stern Auditorium under the baton of Sir John Rutter.An accomplished soloist, Donkova has performed throughout Europe, appearing at prestigious venues such as the Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall (London), Smetana Hall (Prague), Verdi Hall (Milan), Teatro di Verona (Italy), MuTh Concert Hall (Vienna), CCB (Lisbon), and Bulgaria Hall (Sofia), as well as in the USA and Mexico, earning praise for her artistry and expressive performances.Her love for chamber music has led to long-term collaborations with distinguished musicians. Lilia is a founding member of Duo Symbiosis with accordionist Gonçalo Pescada. She has recorded several albums, including debut releases for labels such as ODRADEK. Lilia has also a particular passion for performing lesser-known repertoire.Alongside her solo career, Lilia is Concertmaster of the Cascais & Oeiras Chamber Orchestra and the Cascais Symphony Orchestra in Portugal. She has extensive teaching experience and has been invited to give several masterclasses.Donkova is also active in research and holds a PhD in Music from the University of Évora (Portugal). Her dissertation on the Portuguese composer Fernando Lopes-Graça, awarded with Distinction and Honors has been presented at various symposiums. Furthermore, she has been invited as a jury member at competitions and higher education academic examination boards.Lilia performs on an Italian violin by Vincenzo Postiglione (1879).

"…An image of a grate sensibility was transmitted by the violinist Lilia Donkova…She made true justice of her reputation…"
Laura Engels, WAZ Jornal, Germany

"…Ms. Lilia Donkova performed the Violin Concerto No5 with perfect technical and instrumental skills, and with purity and beauty of the sound. Admirable at all times was the phrasing and the style…"
Alexandro Fernandez, El Norte Mexico

"…Wonderful performance by Lilia Donkova, granddaughter of the great pedagogue and famous composer Bentzion Eliezer. She possesses not only marvelous sound and technique but also great presence on stage. She penetrates the profoundness of the piece and in flexible declamation she manages expressing the narrative character of the music for which are necessary many qualities…"
Boyanka Arnaudova, Jornal Kultura, Bulgaria

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