Ardenza
Duo

Pianist Dr. Daniela Dikova is a dynamic and versatile musician, committed to performing and teaching in the full spectrum of collaborative musical genres.

Dr. Dikova is a Professor of Collaborative Piano in the Chamber Music and Accompaniment Department at the National Academy of Music – Prof. Pancho Vladigerov and has been the staff pianist for the Violin Department at the same institution since 1988.

Her extensive chamber music experience includes performances in various chamber formations with partners like clarinetist Petko Radev, violinist Ginka Gichkova, cellists Stefan Popov, Gavriel Lipkind and Angela Park, soprano Elena Baramova. Dr. Dikova is a sought-after accompanist for all international and national competitions held in Bulgaria. She has participated in the same capacity also at the “Belvedere” – Vienna, the “Tchaikovsky” – Moscow, “A.Popa” – Romania, “Rai Uno” – Italy and others.

In 2004, after many years of duo collaboration with the American cellist Geoffrey Dean, she became the founder of the “Ardenza” Trio, bringing in violinist Galina Koycheva.

In 2009, the ensemble was given the “Crystal Lira” award by the Bulgarian Union of Music and Dance Artists. In 2008, Ardenza Foundation (www.ardenzamusic.org) was born, where Dr. Dikova acts as the Executive Director. She is also the founder and artistic director of “VIVAPIANO” – International Competition for Non-Professional Pianists, the first of its kind on the Balkans.

For that, in 2012 she was presented by Classic FM Radio and the Sofia Municipality with the “Golden Feather” award for her considerable contribution to Bulgarian arts and culture. The Ethno Workshop/Festival “Rila Music Exchange” and “ARTdenzieta” – a creative arts after school program – are projects through which she explores interdisciplinary collaborations among artists.

Galina Koycheva-Mircheva was born on 6th January 1981 in Varna. She completed her higher education in the violin class of Prof. Ginka Gichkova at the Prof. P. Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia.

She has attended the master classes of Yfrah Neaman, Mincho Minchev, Kevork Mardirosyan, Andras Kiss, among others.
She is a laureate of many competitions such as the Svetoslav Obretenov Competition, Pancho Vladigerov Competition, Dobrin Petkov Competition, Musicians of the New Millennium.

She performs concerts as a soloist in the Varna Philharmonic Orchestra, Shumen Philharmonic Orchestra, Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphonietta Sofia, Dobrich Chamber Orchestra, Burgas Philharmonic Orchestra, Bulgarian National Radio Symphonic Orchestra, and the Classic FM Orchestra.

From 1999 to 2010 Galina Koycheva-Mircheva played in the Lot Lorien Art Formation with whom she released four albums. They performed many concerts in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Hungary, Cyprus, Korea, Russia, Finland, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Karelia, Altay, Pakistan, etc. She has worked with internationally recognized musicians, such as Pinchas Zukerman, Amanda Forsyth, Elizabeth Pitcairn, Vanessa Mae, Robert Cohen, Ennio Morricone, Svetlin Rusev, Emil Tabakov, Rosen Milanov, among many others.