Studies in Paris and significant encounters

In 1996, she met in Paris the great violinist and pedagogue Devy Erlih. He offers her to join his class at theEcole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot. For that, she is auditioned by two illustrious composers and Grand Prix de Rome: Jean-Michel Damase and Pierre Petit, director of the Normal School. She then took violin and chamber music lessons with Devy Erlih..

In 1998, Darina Maleeva presents the Competition for the Higher Diploma in Concert Performing violin, the highest distinction awarded by the École Normale de Musique de Paris. The test takes place at Cortot Room in the form of a public recital. She becomes winner of the Higher Diploma in Concert Performing, that she obtains unanimously.

Two unforgettable memories of this period :

• Concert in the house of Darius Milhaud in Paris : Darina Maleeva au sein du Four Darius et Kaori Kawashima, piano, present The creation of the world by the composer for his wife Madeleine Milhaud.

• Jean-Michel Damase congratulates Darina Maleeva after the Concours of the Superior Diploma of Concert Performer and offers him the score of his Sonata for violin and piano. He then tells her, with regret, that this sonata is mostly played on the flute, the violinists to whom he showed it finding it unplayable on the violin ! Darina Maleeva then accepts the challenge. She learns the sonata and for the greatest pleasure of the composer presents it in concert, with himself at the piano, in Paris and Sofia in Bulgaria.

She then perfected her skills at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris with Roland Daugareil. (first violin of the orchestra of Paris) and with the Ysaye Quartet. Darina Maleeva is the first named to the Improvement price in 2000.

Cesar Franck – Melancholy

Commander Melancholy

Cesar Franck – world premiere of the complete work

Darina Maleeva presents the world premiere of the complete works for violin and piano by César Franck at the classic festival from Brantome to 2001 with Pietro Galli, pianist, vocal coach at the Paris Opera.

The world premiere of the complete work for violin and piano by César Franck took place in the Grotto of the Last Judgment in Brantôme, an extraordinary experience for Darina :

“It was very special to play in this cave, I felt there was real life inside. It was not at all the same feeling as with a concert hall. During the rehearsals and at the beginning of the concert everything was relatively quiet, but as the evening progresses, the cave came alive : bats were starting to wander around and weird little critters kept landing on my back and shoulders. As the daughter of a geologist, I felt good in this place, especially since the acoustics were very good. Nevertheless, I was beginning to regret having put on a sleeveless dress.

After a moment, I started to feel the stones reacting to the music. They were vibrating and little bits of the ceiling were starting to fall right next to me. In addition, my violin reacted to the humidity…

Despite the great success of this world premiere and the solicitation of the public, I then asked Pietro to play again in encore only the Melancholy. I was a bit worried that other parts of the cave ceiling would collapse on top of us !  Luckily everything ended well. »

Master and Doctoral Thesis

Darina Maleeva enrolled at the University of Paris VIII under the direction of Ivanka Stoïanova and obtained a Master's degree, then a doctoral thesis on César Franck in 2012.

“Franck's musical language is very complex. Melody comes from harmony. It is very dense and analytical work is required in order to construct the interpretation.” Darina Maleeva

Prix

Darina Maleeva is the winner of the Charles Oulmont Prize of the Foundation of France. This Prize was given to him personally by Pierre Cardin in 2001. She also gets the Grand Prize of the International Spanish Music Competition and the First Prize for Chamber Music at the Concours International Music and Earth in Sofia.

In 2004, French Ambassador to Bulgaria, awards the "Quai d'Orsay" Medal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Nina and Darina Maleeva.

International

Darina Maleeva leads an international concert career and performs in prestigious venues : Steinway Hall in New York, the Salle Gaveau in Paris, Yokohama Theater in Japan, the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona, the Bulgaria room in Sofia or the Musée des Invalides…

She is invited to festivals likeThe Chopin Festival in Paris, The Classic Festival from Brantome, The Impromptu Festival, The sounds of a summer night in Sweden, Festival Austrian Music Weeks, Sofia Music Weeks.

Creations of works

Darina Maleeva is also interested in the music of our time : “The creation of contemporary works has allowed me to collaborate with living composers. I developed my knowledge of the contemporary musical language in all its diversity”.

the duo

Darina Maleeva performs regularly in duo with pianist Xavier Lecomte de la Bretonnerie. The peculiarity of the duo is to present singular programs, with rare and unpublished works by great composers. Evidenced by their new album with the complete work for violin and piano by César Franck, which highlights three little-known pieces by the composer. Or, their CDMad Ghost Meditation, which goes from thereFancy by Franz SchubertGhost and escapadesfrom Wolfgang Rihm to traditional Bulgarian dances.

teaching and masterclass

Passionate about teaching, Darina Maleeva is invited for masterclasses in France, Bulgaria or Japan and as a member of the jury of several competitions. She also teaches the violin within the framework of the association “Friends of music and earth”.

recordings

Darina Maleeva records several CDs and is invited to various television and radio programs includingAlthough, from on France Music.

Darina Maleeva plays a violon Giuseppe Testore de 1741.