Composers' residency

Bozhena Varbanova

composer

Bozhena Varbanova (b. 2002, Varna) is a composer and cultural studies scholar. She graduated with honors from the First English Language High School in Sofia with a focus in the humanities, which is when she began playing the piano and guitar. She’s been singing pop and jazz since early childhood and is a laureate of numerous national and international singing competitions. She was a recipient of a scholarship from the Communitas Foundation under its 1000 Scholarships program.

Bozhena holds dual degrees in composition from the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia, and in cultural studies from St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia (2021-25). She is currently completing her fifth year of a master’s degree in composition at the National Academy of Music in the class of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Kerkelov. During her studies, Bozhena has worked with Prof. Dr. Krassimir Taskov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Kerkelov, Prof. Giovanni Scapecchi, Prof. Guido Arbonelli, Prof. Angelo Benedetti, among other composers and sound designers.

In 2023, Bozhena Varbanova placed second in a Young Bulgarian Composer competition with a collaboration with fellow composer Danail Vidinsky – Bird Dreams for piano and glockenspiel. Two of her pieces – Carrousel for solo piano and Archè for solo bass clarinet – were premiered by Stefan Simov at the Lyubomir Pipkov National School of Music in Sofia (2023) and by Prof. Guido Arbonelli at the Francesco Morlacchi Music Conservatory in Perugia, Italy (2025). Two new premieres – in Tallinn and Sofia – are forthcoming in 2026.

Kliment Milanov

composer

Kliment Milanov is a non-binary Bulgarian-American composer and violist. Born in 2000 in Japan to Russian and Bulgarian parents, his exposure to diverse cultures has led him to explore his background and upbringing through his compositions. Kliment became interested in coming to Bulgaria during his undergraduate studies in viola at the University of Michigan. While studying early Western music, he developed an interest in the ornamental and Eastern nature of Bulgarian folk music. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in composition at the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia.  

Darina Dikova

composer

Darina Dikova (b. 2000) graduated from the Lyubomir Pipkov National School of Music in her native Sofia in the piano class of Maria Bogdanova, and the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in the piano class of Prof. Dr. Borislava Taneva. She also studied organ, harpsichord, and composition. Darina specialized in composition in the class of Asst. Prof. Dr. Petar Dundakov. She is currently a first-year master’s student in composition at the National Academy of Music, while working as a teacher-accompanist and writing folk music arrangements.

Darina is a laureate of national and international piano competitions in Bulgaria, Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Serbia, Greece, and Finland. She is the recipient of the Student of the Year in the Arts award for 2021 from the National Representation of Student Councils in Bulgaria, as well as an award and scholarship for outstanding achievements in the field of culture and the arts from the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria. She holds Third Prize from a composition competition organized by the Ardenza Foundation for writing a piano trio inspired by Lazar Nikolov’s Intermezzo per tre, as well as a Special Prize for composition from the International Music and Earth Competition.

As a solo pianist, Darina has performed with the Symphonietta Orchestra – Sofia, the Classic FM Radio Orchestra, the Sofia Youth Philharmonic, the Prof. Dimitar Nenov Razgrad Philharmonic, the Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra, The Symphonietta Orchestra – Shumen, and the Student Symphony Orchestra and the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Academy of Music in Sofia. Darina has given solo concerts in Sofia, Burgas, Shumen, Bratislava, and Brussels. She has premiered works by Rumen Boyadzhiev Jr., the Brazilian composer Paulo Rios Filho, the Belgian composer Geert Van Hoorick, and her own compositions.

In addition to music, Darina writes poetry and prose. She is the author of the poetry collection Resurrection of Goodness. She has won awards in national and international literary competitions and has been featured in anthologies published by various publishers. She is a member of the Bulgarian Union of Free Writers.

Alexander Ivanov

composer

Alexander Ivanov (b. 2003) graduated from the Lyubomir Pipkov National Music School in Sofia, where he studied piano with Tsvetana Kuncheva. As a student, he participated in and won awards at a number of piano and solfège competitions. He also completed a piano master class with Prof. Lyudmil Angelov.

In 2020, Alexander received the Second Prize at the International Competition for Young Composers in Luxembourg. In 2021, he won the First Prize in a short composition competition organized by the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music and Radio Classic FM. 

Since 2022, Alexander has studied composition at the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia, in the class of Dr. Petar Dundakov. As composer and pianist, he regularly participates in concerts organized by the Academy’s Music Theory Faculty. In 2023, Alexander was a member of the Academy’s delegation to the International Solfège Forum with Competition in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He spent one semester studying at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in the Netherlands.