Les Ambassadeurs

Zefira Valova

was born in Sofia where she studied violin from an early age. In 2006 she obtained both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the National Music Academy in Sofia, having studied with Prof. Yosif Radionov and Stoyka Milanova. She studied baroque violin with Anton Steck and at the moment she is studying at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Lucy van Dael. She has participated in numerous violin masterclasses with Yfrah Neeman, Kolja Lessing, Mincho Minchev and summer courses in Blankenburg and Obertsdorf in Germany with Reimar Orlowsky and Peter Buck; in Austria with members of Bartok, Keller, Artis and Prazak Quartets; and at the International Masterclass Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. With Concerto Antico – consort of early music she performed at the Festival de Musica Antiga Barcelona, Spain (2007 & 2008), and at the “Fabolous Fringe” series of the Oude Muziek Festival in Utrecht (2008 & 2009), Sofia Baroque Arts Festival. From 2003 until 2008 she was concertmaster of Classic FM Radio Orchestra – Sofia and Sofia Festival Orchestra. In 2007 she was concertmaster with The National Youth Orchestra of The Netherlands. She was a member of the European Union Baroque Orchestra in 2008 working with Roy Goodman, Lars Ulrik Mortensen and Enrico Onofri, and a concertmaster under the direction of Petra Mullejans in 2009 and Ton Koopman in 2010. She has appeared as soloist with the Academic Symphony Orchestra Sofia, Classic FM Radio Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra Orpheus, Ars Barocca Ensemble – awarded by Bulgarian National Radio with the prize “Ensemble of 2007”. She has recorded with Vesko Stambolov piano concertos by Bach and Chopin for Meta Records, as well as works by Vivaldi and Telemann with distinguished European ensembles for Brilliant Classics, Channel Classics and Alpha. Lately she is playing with the orchestras Holland Baroque Society, Le Chambre Phillharmonique, Ensemble Matheus, Arte dei Suonatori, Ensemble Cordevento, Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra, Luthers Bach Ensemble. In 2009 Zefira Valova has been awarded in the competition of the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation, which is providing original historical instruments to talented young musicians.