Ivo Stankov

Ivo Stankov has become one of the Bulgaria’s leading artists of his generation. He has performed extensively as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral leader in countries including the UK, Bulgaria, Italy, Holland, France, Spain, Lebanon, in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Bridgewater Hall (Manchester), Glasgow Concert Hall, Westminster Parliament, De Montfort Hall (Leicester), the RAI Congress Centre (Amsterdam), and many others.

He made his solo debut at the Royal Albert Hall, aged fourteen, as a soloist with the New English Orchestra, as part of the New Year’s Eve Celebrations with Sir Cliff Richard and returned there as soloist with the All Souls Orchestra playing Elgar's Violin Concerto at the Prom Praise concert in March 2003. With the ASO he has performed as a soloist in a number of occasions in the UK and on tours abroad, playing the Sibelius, Mendelssohn and Elgar concertos, Saint-Saëns' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso and Havanaise, and Vaugham- Williams' The Lark Ascending. He also has played in front of the Queen of Denmark, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Leader of the House of Commons.

As a recitalist Ivo has performed in a number of venues in London, including Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, St. John’s Smith Square, St. James’s Piccadilly, and also through the UK and Europe. In 2006 he made his critically acclaimed debut at the Wigmore Hall in London, and performed there again in 2007, alongside pianist Ivo Varbanov. He also has performed in the Bulgaria National Hall in Sofia under the patronage of the Bulgarian president, with a subsequent broadcast on national TV and Radio, and participated in the International Festivals "Varna Summer", and "Sofia Summer Days".

Prior to coming in the UK he performed frequently both as soloist and as a leader of the City of Elche Orchestra (Spain), the Baroque Orchestra Valencia and the Barvinski Camerata, and has recorded on numerous occasions for Spanish National TV and Radio.

As a chamber musician Ivo has performed at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and at the Banff Centre of Arts in Canada, with his "Freude Piano Trio".
Ivo’s studies took place at Dobri Hristov School of Music and Arts in his hometown Varna, the Royal Conservatoire in Madrid and the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was awarded a full scholarship from Flame Trust, to study with Erich Gruenberg. He is a recipient of many prizes and awards including the Craxton Memorial Trust Award, London, and the Honours Diploma Award from the Royal Conservatoire in Madrid. In 2003 he was nominated for Bulgarian National Radio “Musician of the Year” Awards.

Since settling in the UK, Ivo has worked with many orchestras, recorded for television and on CD, as well as playing for West End shows. He is the leader of the Schomberg String Quartet, featured recently in both Channel 4 ‘s “Operatunity – The Winners”, and Operababes’ Nationwide Tours. He is a guest leader of London Schubert Players, The London Ensemble, and Independent Opera at Sadler's Wells. He also leads Iskra String Quartet, which has appeared alongside the Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson at International Flanders Festival Ghent and Torino- Milano International Music Festival, amongst others.

Apart from his performing career he teaches violin at James Allen’s Girls School, Cameron House and at JASSPA.
Ivo is the Artistic Director of London Festival of Bulgarian Culture - LFBC, which celebrates the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage, and which first edition will be held in November 2010 (for more information visit HYPERLINK "http://www.lfbc.eu/" \t "_blank" www.lfbc.eu).

He plays on 1787 Gagliano violin, kindly lent to him by the Independent Opera at Sadler's Wells.

“I had the pleasure of playing with Ivo at a charity event in September 2009.
Ivo's playing was excellent and he was a pleasure to work with…”
Mark Knopfler

Press reviews:

“...Exceptionally interesting programme...a really good performance...
Bulgarian Rhapsody Vardar brought the recital to a close in commanding style...”
Robert Matthew-Walker, Musical Opinion, Wigmore Hall Recital Debut, 2/06/06

“...the performance of Janacek's violin sonata excellently reflected the music's restless and wayward moods...Falla's Spanish dance was spirited...the long unaccompanied solo of Ravel's Tzigane was Stankov's best playing of the evening, projecting considerable intensity whilst also suggesting something of Gypsy spontaneity.”
Max Harrison, Musical Opinion, Wigmore Hall Recital, 19/12/07