Dora Dimitrova - Violin

Praised for her versatility and emotionally moving performances, Bulgarian violinist, Dora Dimitrova lives a multi faceted career as a concertmaster, soloist, and chamber musician. Based in New York City, Dimitrova has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Rudolfinum - Dvorak Hall in Prague, and The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. She has shared the stage with world renowned musicians such as Kurt Masur, Carl Ray St. Clair, Gustav Meyer, the Emerson String Quartet, Augustin Hadelich, and Yoel Gumzou.

As a soloist Dimitrova has appeared with the New Symphony Orchestra, Bulgaria, performing Vivaldi and Piazzolla’s Seasons, and with the Pazardjik Symphony Orchestra, Bulgaria, performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.

Dora has performed with RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Ljubljana, International Mahler Orchestra, Berlin, Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, New York Symphonic Ensemble, NY, among others. She served as a Concertmaster for the International Conducting Workshop and Festival 2015 and 2016, where she collaborated with Larry Rachleff and Donald Schleicher. Dimitrova currently performs with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, NJ, Symphony in C, NJ, and Tsenov Chamber Ensemble, NY.

Born in a large family of professional musicians, Dora began her musical journey at the age of 5 with intensive violin and solfeggio lessons. At the age of seventeen she was a laureate of Young Virtuosi International Competition, Fourth Competition for German and Austrian Music and Young Musical Talents in her native Bulgaria, as well as Concertino Praga International Competition, Czech Republic. At the age of nineteen, Dimitrova was named Concertmaster of the New Symphony Orchestra, in Sofia Bulgaria, reflecting an orchestral passion nurtured by her mentor Maestro Rossen Milanov.

As a curator Dimitrova is passionate about shrinking the boundary between performer and audience. She has programmed various musical events with a focus on creating a special atmosphere to produce a profound musical experience. Dora is interested in experimenting with new and provocative interpretations of traditional classical music. In her words, “Music is alive! We cannot just play our notes. Recreation is our mission!”. Dimitrova has collaborated with creative groups such as the Nouveau Classical Project, NY, Stony Brook Contemporary Players, NY, as well as New York-based string quartet Kamea, of which she is a founding member.

Dimitrova’s musical experience expands the classical music boundaries. She was the concertmaster of Excalibur - The Celtic Rock Opera, Germany and Cavallo Classico, Munich.  She performed as a featured soloist at the 2012 Sweet Chariot Music Festival in Maine, and Music Idol Life on Bulgarian National Television.

Dora holds Master of Music degrees from both the National Academy of Music, Bulgaria, and the State University of New York, Stony Brook. After receiving her Masters Degree she was awarded a full scholarship to continue a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Stony Brook University. Her violin teachers include Dora Ivanova, Soovin Kim, Hagai Shaham, Jennifer Frautschi, Arnaud Sussmann, and Philip Setzer. She studies chamber music with the internationally renowned Emerson Quartet.