Aglika Genova is a Bulgarian classical pianist who has gained international recognition for her virtuosic performances and musical interpretations. Born on August 23, 1974, in Sofia, Bulgaria, Genova began playing the piano at the age of five and quickly showed a natural talent for the instrument. She received her early musical education at the National School of Music in Sofia, where she studied with renowned Bulgarian pianist Stella Dimitrova-Feller. In 1992, Genova moved to Germany to continue her studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, where she studied with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling. She also received guidance from other notable pianists, including Dmitri Bashkirov, Lazar Berman, and András Schiff. During her time in Germany, Genova won several prestigious awards, including the first prize at the International Piano Competition in Senigallia, Italy, in 1994. Genova's career as a concert pianist began to take off in the late 1990s, when she won the first prize at the International Piano Competition in Epinal, France, in 1997. This led to numerous invitations to perform at major concert halls and festivals throughout Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Gewandhaus Leipzig, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Tonhalle Zurich, and the Salzburg Festival. One of Genova's most notable performances was her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2001, where she performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. The performance was widely praised for Genova's sensitive and nuanced interpretation of the piece, as well as her technical mastery of the piano. Genova has also collaborated with many other renowned conductors and orchestras, including the Munich Philharmonic, the Dresden Philharmonic, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Orchestre National de Lille, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg. She has performed a wide range of repertoire, from the classical works of Mozart and Beethoven to the more contemporary pieces of Shostakovich and Ligeti. In addition to her solo performances, Genova is also an active chamber musician. She has performed with many notable musicians, including violinist Ilya Gringolts, cellist Alexander Rudin, and clarinetist Sharon Kam. Genova is a founding member of the Genova & Dimitrov Piano Duo, which she formed with her husband, pianist and fellow Bulgarian Dimitar Dimitrov. The duo has performed extensively throughout Europe and Asia, and has recorded several albums, including a critically acclaimed recording of Brahms' complete works for two pianos. Genova's recordings have received widespread critical acclaim, and she has won several awards for her work in the recording studio. In 2009, she won the Echo Klassik award for her recording of Shostakovich's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 with the NDR Radiophilharmonie. She has also recorded several solo albums, including a recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, which was released in 2018 to great critical acclaim. Throughout her career, Genova has been recognized for her musical achievements with numerous awards and honors. In 2003, she was awarded the Bulgarian Order of Stara Planina, one of the highest honors given by the Bulgarian government. She has also been awarded the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung Prize, the Mozart Prize of the City of Frankfurt, and the Prix Groupe Edmond de Rothschild.

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