BULGARIAN VOICES
Gergana Dimitrova – soprano
Sofia Kovacheva – mezzo-soprano
Evelina Christova – alto
Daniela Stoichkova – contralto
Milen Ivanov (conductor) – bass-baritone, bagpipe
The Eva Quartet are some of the best Bulgarian voices. The four solo singers are members of the world famous choir “Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares”. Here the different voices are meeting in such a virtuosity that you are getting the feeling of listening to just one voice.
The group was spontaneously founded by the four women in 1995 and they immediately found a common language and interests. Thus, an unadultered atmosphere was developing at concerts and the audience often had the impression of listening to one multilayered voice. The singers are in command of a very virtuous and very impressive style of singing which is based on an excellent technique.
The repertoire of the quartet comprises authentic folklore songs from different parts of Bulgaria.
They are looking for the purety and primarity of the song while reading tradition in a very modern and varied way.
The whole programme of the quartet contains of old Bulgarian music and church hymns as well as modern music. The quartet also plays with jazz musicians as Veselin Nikolov and Antoni Donchev and with modern composers like Krassimir Kjurkchiski.
EVA Quartet also worked with: Trio Mediaeval; VeDaKi Group; Haig Yazdjian; A Filletta; Elbtonal Schlagwerk etc.
The singers experiment with modern sounds like Drum´n Bass and Ambient and have already recorded a Remix.
In summer 2000 they took part in the project “Magic Voices“ of the Tanz & Folklore Festival in Rudolstadt (ZDF / 3 SAT / Deutschlandfunk) which found much interest. 2002 EVA Quartet took part in a very special vocal project with the VeDaKi Group and Haig Yazdjian. 2003 they made recordings for the soundtrack of the new Polish movie “Stara Basn” / music by Krzesimir Debski.
In 2003 and 2004 EVA Quartet took part in a big project of Jeunesse Vienna with Camerata Salzburg, Fanfare Ciocarlia and Muzsikas with Marta Sebestyen.
2007 Eva Quartet took part on the Danube Music Festival in a very special project with the famous violin players Gilles Apap and Zoltan Lantos.
In summer 2007 Eva Quartet work together on a special project with Banda Adriatica. May – June 2009 togetherwork with Ensemble Amarcord (Germany).
July 2009 and 2012 togetherwork with Unni Løvlid (Norway).
August 2009 participation with Trebunie Tutki (Poland) on a project for Cheslaw Niemen. October 2009 togetherwork with Bea Palya (Hungary).
2012 Projekt „Music from Monastery“ with Roger Willemsen, Dvuglas und Tashi Lhunpo Monastery Group from Tibet for Philharmonie, Berlin.
ALBUMS
Moreover, the quartet released two albums „Bulgarian Folklore Gifts“ (Orpheus Music) and „Harmonies“ (Kuker Music). The Austrian music magazine Concerto called the album ‘Harmonies’ ‘the most beautiful CD of Bulgarian female voices’.
For the fourth album of the choir “Le mystére des voix bulgares” the producer Marcel Cellier decided for four solo songs of the quartet.
**** NEW ALBUM on ELEN MUSIC / 2012 ***
EVA QUARTET & HECTOR ZAZOU “THE ARCH”
* produced by Dimiter Panev and Hector Zazou *
link: www.elen-music-label.com
feat. special guests
Laurie Anderson; Bollywood String Orchestra; Cecilia Chailly; Diva Reka
Group; Antoni Donchev; Robert Fripp; Bill Frisell; Djiavan Gasparian;
Mehdi Haddab; Kaushiki; Zoltan Lantos; Nils Petter Molvær; Carlos Nunez;
Bill Rieflin (REM); Ryuichi Sakamoto etc.
At the moment Eva Quartet works on a album with polyphonic music arround the world „PARALLEL 42“
REVIEWS
The floating diaphony of the Bulgarian folklore music which is producing melodius sound from parallel seconds – these were sounds which – we don’t know how – impart an amazing presence to the old myth of music as a universal language.
Wolfgang Fuhrmann / Berliner Zeitung
‘The listeners let themselves be thrilled and electrified with this mediating and striking music. The impressive style of singing of the four young singers made us believe to listen to only one, mulilayered voice – despite the four part singing.’
Alexandra Kolbeck / Passau Nachrichten
’With the diaphoning music of this unique quartet sounds separate from each other and meet again. For the untrained listener these micro intervals might sound dissonant at the beginning. However, they first impart thrill and thus life to the music.’
Udo Hinz / Göttinger Tageblatt
The harmonious singing of the four women revealed an astonishing wealth of coulours and facettes. From a dense polyphone network harmonious blocks are developing which, however, never appeared static … The fragile beautiful sound, the powerful rhythms and melody runs came along easily and naturally … The four perfectly-trained voices were of one piece and seemed to be one sounding body.
Schaumburger Nachrichten (17.09.2007)
Folk songs in their origin or compositions, new as well as arranged contemporarily, which combine the harsh beauty of the folk music together with the skillful compositional style and sound rafinesse. The sound of the ensemble was an exciting cooperation and competition of very individual voices.
General-Anzeiger Bonn, Mathias Nofze
Beguiling like the singing of Homer’s sirens in the Odyssee, the sound threads of their simple, unmoduled voices wrap up heart and brain. Overwhelming modesty of great voices.
Leipziger Volkszeitung
In some songs we nearly ‚see’ the content, artistically played by the swinging voices of the singers. Corresponding to the song, the arrangement and the original region of the song, they even change the sound, the colour of the voice in order to reach to the atmosphere of the landscape. It is a ‘bunch of different flowers’ which sometimes sound friendly, sometimes tragical, but also lyrical and satirical.
Prof. Nikolai Kaufmann
Festivals and Projects
Hofkonzerte / Podewil Berlin 2000; Tanz & Folkfestival Rudolstadt 2000; Project “Magic Voices“; Voice Mania / Vienna 2000; Vokal Total / Munich 2000; Folksherbst / Plauen 2000; Project “Voices“ Fest der Kontinente / Berlin 2001; Acappella Festival / Burghof Lörrach 2002; Fest der Träume / Würzburg 2002; Linz Fest / Linz 2002 (with Balanescu Quartet); WDR Weltfestival / Bonn 2002; Vokal Festival / Düsseldorf 2002 (with Miriam Makeba); Chants Polyphoniques de Calvi / Corsica 2002 (with A Filletta); Krems 2002 (with Trio Mediaeval); XONG Festival / Mals 2003; Bad Wildungen Folk im Schloss 2003; Nürnberg Bardentreffen 2003; Jeunesse / Vienna 2003 (with Marta Sebestien); Festival de Musica Eivissa Clasica / Ibiza 2003; Festival Sacred Music / München 2003; Osterfestival Tirol / Hall 2004; Stemmenfestival Antwerpen / 2004; Quedlinburger Musiksommer / 2004; Lodz Film Project / 2004; Vilnius World Music Festival 2004; Polyfollia Saint Lo / 2004; Jeunesse / München 2004 (with Marta Sebestien); Vienna Voice Mania / 2004 Acapella Festival; 2005 International Choral Festival / Cork; Drogheda Arts Festival 2005; Jazz Festival Bray 2005; Appenzell A-Cappella-Festival 2006; Rouen Voix De Fete 2006; Vaasa 2006, Mayo 2006, Ulm Donaufestival 2006, Munich Klaviersommer 2006, Lund Vocal Festival 2006; Danube Music Festival / Danube River 2007 (Project with Zoltan Lantos and Gilles Apap); New Music Festival / Ulm 2007; Made Festival / Umea 2007 / La Notte della Taranta Festival (Project with Banda Adriatica) 2007; Niedersächsischen Musiktagen 2007; Le Voci dell Anima, Bari 2007; Cagliari Festival 2008; Segni & Sezze (Roma) Easter Festival 2008; Torres Vedras Festival 2008; London Balkanfeever Festival 2008; A cappella Festival Leipzig / D 2009; Algavre Choir Festival / POR 2009; Forde Folk Music Festival / NOR 2009; Malmö Festival / S 2009; Festival Itinerari folk Trento Festival / IT 2009; Sopot Festival (The Music Of Cheslaw Niemen) / PL 2009; Bielsko Biala Festival / POL 2009; Budapest Palace of Arts / HUN 2009; Uppsala Sacred Music Festival / SWE 2009; Womex Copenhagen Koncerthuset Studio 1 / DK 2009; Masala Festival Hannover / D 2010; Bath Fringe Festival / UK 2010; Ethno Port Festival Poznan / POL 2010 Scotland / Love Music Festival / SCO 2010Lörrach / Stimmen in Advent Stadtkirche / D 2010 Hannover A-cappella Woche / D 2011; Murcia Festival / ES 2011; Bergen Festspillene / NOR 2011; Augsburg Festival / D 2011; Haarlem Internationale Koorbiënnale / NL 2011; Singapure Voyage Night Festival / SG 2011; Salzburg Jazz & The City / A 2011; Fribourg Festival for Sacred Music / CH 2012; Taipei International Choral Festival / TW 2012; Zürich Theaterspektakel Festival / CH 2012; Calvi Rencontres de Chants Polyphoniques de Calvi / COR 2012; Olsztyn Theatre Festival / PL 2012; Frankfurt Oder Transvocale Festival / D 2012; Bergen 2013; World Music Festival Shanghai 2013, Romanische Nacht Köln 2013; Bardentreffen Nürnberg 2013 etc.
EVA QUARTET perform concerts in places like
Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Tropenthetaer; Rotterdam De Doelen; Alden Biesen; Bruxelles Musikpublique; Antwerpen Zuiderpershuis; Esch Luxemburg Kulturfabrik; Vienna, Konzerthaus, Sargfabrik; Wels Church; Krems Minoritenkirche; Dornbirn Spielboden; Salzburg Marionettentheater; Berlin Philharmonie, Gethsemanekirche; Ulm Dom; Munich Allerheiligen Hofkirche; Elmau Schloss; Stuttgart Theaterhaus; Bielefeld Kammermusiksaal der Oetker-Halle; Quedlinburg Nikolaikirche; Leipzig Gewandhaus; Kassel Kreuzkirche; Dublin; London St James’ Church Piccadilly; Bristol St George’s; Rouen Church; Saint Lo Church; Caen Église Notre-Dame de la Gloriette; Madrid, Barcelona, Palma CaixaForum; Bern Bee Flat; Zürich Moods; Oslo Vigeland Mausoleum; Budapest Palace of Arts; Warsaw Państwowe Muzeum Etnograficzne; Copenhagen Koncerthuset Studio 1, Singapore National Museum, Taiwan Taipei National Concert Hall etc.
EVA QUARTET tour & perform in following 26 countries:
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, UK, Scotland, Eire, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Lithunia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, France & Corsica, Italy & Sardinia, Spain, Portugal, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan.
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