photo by Val Adamson
IT STARTED WITH -
An endless passion for music, for sharing, for expressing, for life.
Bulgarian violinist Ralitza Macheva is a Graduate of the Pancho Vladigerov Music Academy in
Sofia, and the Conservatorium van de Enschede, The Netherlands. Her primary teachers were A. Kramarov and Boyan Lechev. In several prestigious national Violin and Chamber Music competitions such as the “N. Simeonova”, “The Golden Diana” and “Béla Bartók” competitions, she was awarded the First Prizes, which led to various Radio and Television recordings.
Working for a brief period as Principal Violinist in the Chamber Music Ensemble Amadeus, in Seoul, South Korea, she subsequently returned to Bulgaria where she held the position of Associate Concertmaster of the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra. Since her relocation to South Africa in 2000, she is the Co-Principal Second Violinist of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, Durban.
Her strong devotion to music of the Baroque era resulted in her appointment as Leader of the Durban-based orchestra, Baroque 2000, with which she has appeared as a soloist on numerous occasions. Tours with Baroque 2000 have included the HIFA Festival in Zimbabwe and the Maputo Music and Arts Festival in Mozambique, and most notably, a production of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Opera “Le Devin du Village” which toured South Africa in numerous
performances. As Leader of this ensemble, she has worked closely with the distinguished French conductor François Xavier Roth. She took Baroque Violin Masterclasses with Chiara Banchini at the renowned “Schola Cantorum Basiliensis” in Basel, Switzerland, followed by a “Historically Informed Performance Practice” Course with the Dutch Baroque Violinist: Antoinette Lohman.
She works in close collaboration as Guest Concertmaster with the Baroque Ensemble Camerata Tinta Barocca in Cape Town. Since 2017 Ralitza participates at Cape Town Baroque Festival concerts in collaboration with Erik Dippenaar, harpsichord, Carin van Heerden, Baroque oboe, Erik Bosgraaf, recorder and many more South African baroque
musicians. In 2018 as a Leader of Baroque2000 she collaborated with Ensemble Caprice from Quebec, Canada – Gypsy Baroque program led by Mathias Maude, Artistic Director of the Ensemble and Director of Bach Society of Minnesota.
Apart from her artistic career, Ralitza is passionate about teaching. She currently enjoys working with more than twenty private students and coaches the KwaZulu-Natal Youth Orchestra and the South African National Youth Orchestra in their annual camps.
Ralitza’s repertoire reaches a wide range of music from early 17 th century to 21 st century music, performing on a period instrument or a modern violin.
