Jivka Klinkova

Jivka Klinkova (1924–2002) graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1947 majoring in Piano under Professor Dimitar Nenov, Conducting under Professor Edmondo di Vecci and Composition under Professor Parashkev Hadjiev and Professor Vesselin Stoyanov. She specialized in Composition with Professor Wagner-Regeny and Professor Boris Blaher in Berlin (1960-66). She attended the international courses for new music in Darmstadt (Germany, 1964), the Festival of Bournenville in Copenhagen (Denmark), the Karl Hoffer Symposium in Berlin (1982) and Heidelberg (1985). She worked as a composer and conductor at the Filip Kutev National Folklore Ensemble (the former State Ensemble for Traditional Song and Dance) since its founding in 1951 up to 1966. She composed 11 ballets, operas, musicals; works for symphony, string and chamber orchestra; suites and other music for traditional instruments orchestra; chamber instrumental music; over 250 solo and choral songs with piano accompaniment; arrangements of traditional songs and dances; film music; pieces for pop orchestra, etc. Her film music, her chamber opuses and her music for traditional ensembles won her international prizes. Lots of her works were premiered and performed with success abroad. She was laureate of the World Youth Festival in Bucharest (1953). In 1981 she received an Honourable Diploma from Pope John Paul II for the opera St. Cyril and St. Methodius. The score is kept in the Vatican.