Solent Symphony Orchestra

Conductor - Steve Tanner                Leader - Kirstie Robertson

Valentina Seferinova - our Piano soloist on 28th September 2019

A frequent participant with our Orchestra, award winning pianist Valentina Seferinova was recognised as a child prodigy in her native Bulgaria : she performed solo, and with orchestras, from an early age.  She graduated from the National Academy in Sofia with a Master’s Degree in Music Theory :  2 years later Valentina became Assistant Professor of Piano Performance there.  Alongside teaching she has continued performing; many of these performances were recorded and transmitted on Bulgarian National Radio and Television.  In 1999 she was invited by the Trustees of the Claude Debussy House and Museum in St. Germain-en-Laye, Paris, to give a premier performance of the composer’s complete 4 hands works with her colleague, Prof. Emilia Mihaylova, on his birthdate.

Apart from regular public performances in the UK and across Europe Ms Seferinova has notably been invited to give private performances for the annual International Rachmaninoff Society’s AGM – not once but 3 times!  Her guest appearances as an orchestral soloist have taken her around the UK including London; and across Europe, to Russia and the Ukraine.

Officially, Valentina’s recording career began in 1998. Shortly afterwards she recorded premier recordings of works by Joachim Raff – which was a result of her love of re-discovering the music of long lost composers. It was this CD that brought her to the attention of music critics – not only in the UK, where she now holds dual nationality, but across Europe and the United States: ("... Ms Seferinova has grand technique and plays brilliantly.” – Carl Bauman – American Record Guide; "She is a fluent pianist, and does a fine job .." – Paul Turok – Turok’s Choice).

In the spring of 2019 she recorded orchestral and solo works by the young award- winning French composer, Corentin Boissier, under the baton of multi-nominee and Grammy Award winning Conductor John McLaughlin Williams, with the Ukranian Festival Orchestra. This is the 14th CD in which she features.

In a different context Benjamin Zander, Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, was moved to say “".... you are a great artiste and a great pianist, and you understand Schubert .........there are probably 3 pianists on the face of the earth who can do this (Schubert's "Sonata in B flat major") - you're one of them.    ..... a great artiste and a great musician (putting herself) at the service of the music - 100%.    ...this was a great encounter - because you're a tremendous musician; and a great spirit; I mean huge, - and you have everything.  Thank you for being available"

Valentina currently has a busy schedule of teaching and performances, together with raising a family with her British husband in Hampshire, UK.

Valentina was our ‘Guest Soloist’ in Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major in September 2019

More information is available from her website www.ValentinaSeferinova.com, whilst those wishing to follow her in more detail can ‘Like’ and ‘Follow’ her at https://www.facebook.com/Valentina.Seferinova.1  

Extensive videos of some of her public performances can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/valentinaseferinova/videos