BIOGRAPHY

The Ivanov-Antimova duo was founded by Kalin Ivanov cellist and Elena Antimova pianist in 2001. Their New York debut took place in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in early 2002. They returned to Carnegie Hall both in 2003 and 2004 for chamber music recitals with standing ovations. Recent highlights of the duo’s concert tours include chamber music venues throughout the US and the Carribeans. Their performances in St. Thomas and St. John, USVI were lauded with standing ovations and numerous encores.
 
Critical praise has followed the Duo for many years and across several continents. The Duo’s vigorous performing style and warmly nuanced approach to repertoire has been noted and acclaimed in coverage by New York Concert Review, Daily News (VI), Fanfare, Gramophone (UK), among others. 
 
Throughout its career the duo has been captivating audiences performing works from the standard cello-piano repertoire as well as introducing newly composed works. As a passionate advocate of contemporary music, the Duo has performed numerous world and US premieres. As part of this legacy, the duo regularly introduces modern Bulgarian compositions to its audiences. Bulgarian composer Roumi Petrova has been an influential collaborator with the Duo for many years and has dedicated numerous works to Mr. Ivanov. Petrova worked closely with the Duo during her years of residence in NYC and for the CD “Enchanted Rhythms”, a compilation of her works for cello and piano. The CD won grant support from The Charles Schwartz Foundation for Music and was produced by and released internationally on the MSR label. 

From its very inception, Duo performances have generated unique accolades. The Duo’s Carnegie Hall debut in 2002 was filmed by CUNY TV as a featured part of the documentary "Study with the Best". The show aired on CUNY TV, Channel 75, and was followed by more than 30 repeat broadcasts. It was nominated for an Emmy Award later that year. News of the documentary and the Emmy nomination reached Bulgaria and the story was covered by Bulgarian’s national media.

Radio broadcasts include Bulgarian National Radio, Radio Free Europe, WWFM Classic Radio (NJ), Classic FM Radio (Bulgaria), FM 98.5 CKWR Radio (Canada), Radio WORT 89.9FM Madison, WI, WSTA Radio “Addie Ottley Morning Show”, WVWI AM 1000 The Afternoon Mix, Sound of Hope Radio, NY. TV appearances include broadcasts for CUNY TV Channel 75, NDT TV, NY, Bulgarian National TV.

Natives of Bulgaria, Ivanov and Antimova were both educated and trained in Bulgaria. Mr. Ivanov received the MM degree from the State Music Academy Sofia, Bulgaria, following initial training for his BM degree at Academy of Music and Dance Art, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Later, he received the MM degree in Performance from Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, CUNY. Antimova was educated and trained at the Special Music School for advanced artists in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and later received the BM and MM degrees from Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, CUNY.

 

 INDIVIDUAL BIOS:

Kalin Ivanov, cellist, is a prominent soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and recording artist. Compared by the press to Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Piatigorsky and Jacqueline du Pré he is quickly gaining recognition as an artist whose “dramatic urgency and expressive tone” (The STRAD) is matched by “His deep, emotional, and poetic performing style” (Moscow North). The former music critic of the New York Times, Harris Goldsmith states that”…Ivanov presents himself as a player with a fine grained, luscious tone…” (New York Concert Review). The WORLD PANORAMA (Bulgaria) wrote: “…Kalin Ivanov is a phenomenon in the palette of the most talented musicians” and Musical Opinion (UK) confirmed: “one of the most celebrated cellists of his generation.” A winner of the C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival Concerto Competition, he has performed in major performing centers in Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Czech Republic, England, Russia, and the U.S. Mr. Ivanov solo performances include appearances with the top Bulgarian orchestras including: Sofia Philharmonic, Sinfonietta-Sofia, Plovdiv Philharmonic, Varna Philharmonic, as well as Prague Sinfonietta, Moscow chamber orchestra - “Cantus Firmus”, Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, Manhattan Virtuosi and Ensemble du Monde - Chamber Orchestras, and others. He is also a founding member of The Forte String Quartet and New York Empire Trio. Mr. Ivanov is currently on the faculty at Brooklyn College, CUNY and Adelphi University. He also appears regularly on radio and television programs, leads cello and chamber music master classes and is a judge of international competitions in the US and Europe. Mr. Ivanov records for MSR Classics and Gega New labels and is presented by BV Artists International.
More info: www.KalinIvanov.com 
 
 

Elena Antimova, pianist and composer first started playing the piano at age of four in her native country Bulgaria. She received several piano awards and at age 15 was critically acclaimed as “a stunning interpreter of contemporary works” by the leading music magazine in Sofia-Music Yesterday Today. Ms. Antimova had studied at The Boston University Tanglewood Institute(summer of 2000) and performed at the Tanglewood Music Festival. She has studied with Tong Il Han, Claude Franck, Gilbert Kalish, Luiz de Moura Castro, Tania Leon, Robert McDonald, Ignat Solzhenitsyn at various masterclasses. She has also performed at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Steinway Hall, Klavierhaus, National Arts Club, CAMI Hall as well as throughout the US.  Her Carnegie Hall debut as a composer was highly acclaimed by the critics:” A fine pianist, Ms. Antimova played brilliantly, with deep identification and riveting concentration” (New York Concert Review).

Her performances have been broadcasted by CUNY TV-Channel 75, WNYE TV-Channel 25, Bulgarian National Television and Radio, Radio Free Europe, WNYC, New York Public Radio, and Voice of America. In 2002 she was featured in the Emmy-nominated documentary Study with the Best. Ms. Antimova holds a BM and a MM in Piano Performance from Brooklyn College, CUNY where she has been awarded The John Challener Award in Piano (2002)and The Sol Goldman Scholarship(2003 and 2004), The Serf Scholarship (2005, 2006 and 2007) in recognition of her outstanding performance achievements, as well as The Sam Levenson Award (2005) from the Brooklyn College Alumni Association for making a significant contribution to the Brooklyn College Community. She was also the Concerto Competition winner in 2005. Ms. Antimova has performed as a duo with Mr. Kalin Ivanov since 2001. Ms. Antimova is a BV Artists International.