site.btaHonouring Stoika Milanova, Bulgaria’s Beloved Violin Virtuoso

Prof. Stoika Milanova (1945-2024) is one of the most significant Bulgarian violinists of all time. “She is an inspiration to the young, the old, to our entire generation,” violinist Lia Petrova tells BTA. Tuesday marks the 80th anniversary of Prof. Milanova’s birth.

“Her recordings speak for themselves and reflect her extraordinary talent. I’m fortunate to play her violin — a Guarneri del Gesù — and it’s an incredible honour for me. The instrument is magnificent. And I can absolutely feel that Stoika played it and left her sound, her soul within it. I have the privilege, the joy, and the pleasure of being with Stoika Milanova and what she left behind in this violin nearly every day,” Petrova added. She received the instrument in October last year. The 1733 Guarneri del Gesù, owned by the Bulgarian state, was officially entrusted to her by caretaker culture minister Nayden Todorov.

A Musical Heritage

Stoika Milanova was born on 5 August 1945 in Plovdiv. Her mother, Yovka Milanova, had seven brothers — all musicians who formed a family folk orchestra and performed at weddings and community gatherings across the Haskovo region.

Her grandfather, Rangel Milanov, was a virtuoso kaval player who also played violin, harmonium, and bagpipes. He passed his passion for music to his son, Prof. Trendafil Milanov — one of the founders of the Plovdiv Music School and the boarding school for gifted children, later director of the State Music School in Sofia.

He had many distinguished students, but his greatest pride were his two daughters: pianist Dora Milanova and violinist Stoika Milanova.

From a Gifted Child to a Student of Oistrakh

Stoika began learning violin from her father at the age of three. By nine, she was already performing Vivaldi and Paganini at the boarding school for gifted children. At 12, she gave her first recital, performing works by Bach, Mozart, Wieniawski, Kreisler, Hadzhiev, Nováček, and Vieuxtemps.

At 14, she was heard by world-renowned violinist David Oistrakh during one of his tours in Bulgaria. Impressed by her skill, he promised to take her as his student at the Moscow Conservatory once she turned 18.

After graduating from the State Music School in Sofia, she studied under Oistrakh in Moscow, where she also connected with greats such as Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Michael Yampolsky, Josef Szigeti, Ruggiero Ricci, and others.

She soon began competing internationally, winning major prizes — including a gold medal and jury award at the 1962 Helsinki World Festival, and in 1967, Second Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. In 1970, she took First Prize and the Audience Award at the Carl Flesch Competition in London.

“Every Success Is an Obligation”

Following her triumph in London, Milanova told Trud newspaper in 1970:

“Success is a great responsibility. Every standstill is a loss. One must constantly move forward. Only in the tension of work and life does one truly feel alive.”
In 1974, she received two major honours for her recordings of Prokofiev’s violin concertos — the Charles Cros Academy Award in Paris and the Grand Prix of Belgian Radio, followed by Italy’s Golden Archer Award in 1979 for outstanding contributions to the arts.

She remains the only Bulgarian violinist to be a laureate of two of the world’s three most prestigious violin competitions, alongside numerous other accolades.

The 1733 Guarneri del Gesù

In 1975, in recognition of her artistry, the Bulgarian state presented her with the historic 1733 Guarneri del Gesù violin — the same one now entrusted to Lia Petrova.

Her concert career took her to Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Venezuela, and the United States, where her performances were consistently praised.

French-Russian musicologist Michel-Rostislav Hofmann described her as “endowed with extraordinary fingers, great musicality, masculine strength, and feminine sensitivity... Her performances of Prokofiev's concertos rival and even surpass those of Isaac Stern and Igor Oistrakh.”

Teacher and Performer

Milanova began teaching violin at the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia in 1978. She later led masterclasses in London, Brussels, and Tokyo. Particularly impactful were her pedagogical contributions in Venezuela, where 35 teachers at the Emil Friedman College trained young violinists using the system developed by her father.

“Bulgarians are inherently musically gifted,” she told Duma newspaper in 2010.

“We must preserve our cultural identity, especially since Bulgaria joined the EU. Passing on knowledge is my duty.”
 
Worldwide Recognition

She was featured in Margaret Campbell’s 1980 book The Great Violinists, which includes around 200 of the most important names in violin history. She also appeared in Woody Allen’s A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy — a scene in the film is set to her recording of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

In 1999, she performed in Tokyo to mark the centenary of composer Pancho Vladigerov, and in 2000, played alongside her daughter, violinist Yova Milanova, and son-in-law, conductor Carlos Riazuelo, at the Sofia Music Weeks Festival.

Honours and Legacy

Prof. Stoika Milanova was awarded the title “People’s Artist” (1978), the “Golden Feather” (2021) for contribution to Bulgarian culture, and the “Golden Age” award — a high national honour for strengthening cultural identity.

She passed away on 29 September 2024, leaving behind a legacy of masterful performance, heartfelt pedagogy, and enduring influence on generations of musicians.