Role

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Composer

Birth

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1980 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria

 

Dobrinka Tabakova is a Bulgarian-born classical music composer who has gained international recognition for her unique and innovative compositions. Born on May 25, 1980, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Tabakova grew up in a family of musicians. Her father was a composer and her mother was a pianist, so music was always a part of her life from a young age. Tabakova began playing the piano at the age of four and later learned to play the violin and the harp. She attended the National School of Music in Plovdiv, where she studied composition, piano, and percussion. After completing her studies in Bulgaria, Tabakova moved to London to continue her education at the Royal Academy of Music. At the Royal Academy of Music, Tabakova studied composition with Simon Bainbridge and piano with Hamish Milne. She also attended masterclasses with renowned composers such as George Benjamin and Oliver Knussen. During her time at the academy, Tabakova won several awards and scholarships, including the Royal Academy of Music’s highest award for composition, the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence. Tabakova’s early compositions were heavily influenced by Bulgarian folk music, which she had grown up listening to. Her music often features intricate rhythms and complex harmonies, as well as elements of improvisation and spontaneity. Her compositions also draw on a wide range of musical traditions, including classical, jazz, and world music. One of Tabakova’s most notable early works is her String Quartet No. 1, which was written in 2004 and premiered at the Wigmore Hall in London. The piece is a tribute to the Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov and features elements of Bulgarian folk music, as well as a hauntingly beautiful melody that is repeated throughout the piece. In 2007, Tabakova was commissioned by the BBC to write a piece for the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The resulting work, Concerto for Cello and Strings, was premiered at the Barbican Centre in London and was later broadcast on BBC Radio 3. The concerto is a virtuosic showcase for the cello, with the soloist weaving in and out of the orchestral texture. Tabakova’s music has been performed by some of the world’s leading orchestras and ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Her works have also been featured at major music festivals, such as the BBC Proms, the Cheltenham Music Festival, and the Aldeburgh Festival. In recent years, Tabakova’s music has become more experimental and adventurous. She has begun incorporating electronic elements into her compositions, as well as exploring new forms and structures. Her 2017 album, “String Paths,” features a collection of works for string orchestra that draw on a wide range of musical influences, from Bulgarian folk music to minimalist composers like Steve Reich. One of the standout tracks on “String Paths” is “Such Different Paths,” which features a solo violin weaving in and out of a lush orchestral texture. The piece is a meditation on the idea of different paths converging and diverging, and it showcases Tabakova’s ability to create intricate and complex musical structures. Another notable work from Tabakova’s recent output is “Centuries of Meditations,” which was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 2019.

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