Lora Dimitrova - Solo Artist
Lora is known for the poetry she conjures up at the keyboard supported by impeccable technique. In her youth behind the iron curtain in Bulgaria, these qualities saw her selected for the final stages and prizes at many major international piano competitions, including Chimay (1st prize), Maria Callas (2nd prize), Hastings (1st prize), Van Cliburn, Leeds and Leipzig.
As competition juries have noted, her playing brings together "a great mastery of technique and a sensitivity of rare quality", "virtuosity at the service of the music" and "her performances reveal a true artist" (see Reviews section of the web site).
But it was her move to the UK and winning the competition for artist representation from YCAT (Young Concert/Classical Artists Trust) that really launched her international career as a solo pianist. Shortly after this, Sir Georg Solti heard her playing and, stunned by her musicianship, championed her playing and helped propel her to the highest levels in the musical world.
Lora has performed in many of the major concert halls in London including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, St John's Smith Square, Wembley Arena and Fairfield Hall.
She has travelled up and down the UK, playing both in major arts festivals and local concert societies - locations have included
Andover, Ashford, Bath, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Bromsgrove, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cardiff, Chichester, Darlington, Detling, Doncaster, Dover, Durham, Edinburgh, Egerton, Guildford, Hatchlands Park, Hartlepool, Hastings, Haywards Heath, Herne Bay, Honiton, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kidderminster, King's Lynn, Isle of Wight, Leeds, Leicester, Leighton Buzzard, Lincoln, Ludlow, Malvern, Manchester, Monkseaton, Newcastle, North Shields, Norwich, Oxford, Penzance, Portsmouth, Richmond, Shrewsbury, Sidmouth, Skipton, Southampton, Sunderland, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Walton-on-Thames, Wells, Worcester and York.
In Europe, Lora has played in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Gurnsey, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Northern Ireland, Russia, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. This includes performing unforgetable concerts at the prestigious Salzburg, Dresden, Monte Carlo and Flanders Festivals. She has also played in the USA.
Lora has performed as soloist with many leading orchestras, including the London Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Royal Philharmonic, London Concert, English String, Belgian National and Greek Radio Symphony Orchestras.
She has a wide concerto repertoire including works by Bach, Bartok, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Haydn, Greig, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Schumann and Shostakovich.
Lora has also championed contemporary classical music, in particular Bulgarian, English and Belgium composers. She has collaborated on a number of projects with the composers Francis Routh and Frederik Van Rossum, giving world premiers of both of their music and having music composed for her.
Lora is a passionate supporter of youth music (see the leadership section of the web site) and has appeared as soloist on many occasions with youth and children's orchestras, in particular with the Bromley Youth Symphony and Bromley Youth Chamber Orchestras.
