Sophia Prodanova
About me
Sophia Prodanova is a versatile violinist who is equally at home performing as a chamber musician, soloist, orchestral leader, and improviser.
Coming from a musical family of mostly woodwind players, whom she failed to convince to teach her to play the oboe, Sophia began her violin studies at the age of 5 in the music school in her hometown – Plovdiv, Bulgaria. As a hard-working and enthusiastic 16-year old, Sophia managed to secure a full bursary from the Music and Dance scheme which enabled the continuation of her studies at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK. In 2022, she graduated with Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) where she studied violin and baroque violin with David Takeno and Pavlo Beznosiuk and improvisation with David Dolan.
Already as a student, Sophia enjoyed performing as a leader of cantata and symphonic programmes, operas and musicals. Now Sophia is increasingly in demand for principal positions with some of UK and Europe’s leading ensembles and orchestras – Pygmalion, Arcangelo, The English Concert, I Gemelli, Ensemble Masques, Vache Baroque, Benedetti Baroque Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Other ensembles include Helsinki Baroque, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Dunedin Consort, Il Pomo d’Oro, Mozartists and Balthasar – Neumann Ensemble.
In 2020 she was the recipient of the New Ensemblists Scheme with the UK period performance ensemble Arcangelo (Jonathan Cohen) for a period of 2 years, which included fully professional performance experiences as a member – concerts at the BBC Proms, Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, including her solo debut there, as well as CD recordings for Alpha Classics and Sony.
As a chamber musician, Sophia has performed alongside the Doric Quartet, London Haydn Quartet, Chiaroscuro quartet and has benefited from the coaching of esteemed performers, such as Krysia Osostowicz, Richard Lester and Robert Levin.
Recently, Sophia gave the Bulgarian premiere performance of Andrzej Panufnik’s Violin Concerto together with Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra in Bulgaria. As a regular guest of Sofia Baroque Arts Festival, she has performed concertos by Vivaldi and Bach, as well as given a duo recital of 17th Century repertoire with theorbist Kristiina Watt and a masterclass for the violin students of the National Conservatory of Music in Sofia.
Sophia is the 3rd Prize winner of the International Bach Competition in Leipzig (2022), as well as a Jumpstart Jr Foundation artist – having received a 1596 Brothers Amati violin, from their Sparrey Collection for a period of 3 years.
During the 2024/25 season, Sophia has been a trialist for the leader position with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Sophia Prodanova
Dates
Upcoming
Sept 4 | Sing to the Lord a New Song with Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras | London, UK | |
Sept 14 | Re:invention with Apollo’s Cabinet | London, UK | details |
Sept 16 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Sept 18 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Sept 21 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Sept 24 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Sept 26 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Sept 28 | In memory of Zamira Menuhin Benthall | Cobham, UK | details |
Sept 29 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Oct 1 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Oct 3 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Oct 5 | A Birthday Party for the King with Apollo’s Cabinet | London, UK | details |
Oct 7 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Oct 9 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Oct 12 | Ariodante with Ensemble Pygmalion at Opera Garnier (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Oct 13 | Elements with Apollo’s Cabinet at King’s Place | London, UK | details |
Oct 16 | Handel, Biber, Bach – Chamber Tour with Dunedin Consort | Oban, UK | details |
Oct 17 | Handel, Biber, Bach – Chamber Tour with Dunedin Consort | Findhorn, UK | details |
Oct 18 | Handel, Biber, Bach – Chamber Tour with Dunedin Consort | Inverness, UK | details |
Oct 19 | Handel, Biber, Bach – Chamber Tour with Dunedin Consort | Aberdeen, UK | details |
Oct 24 | De Profundis with Vache Baroque at BREMF | Brighton, UK | details |
Oct 25 | Elements with Apollo’s Cabinet at King’s Place | Hastings, UK | details |
Nov 1 | Brandenburg Concertos with Arcangelo | London, UK | details |
Nov 2 | Brahms and Schumann Sonatas for piano and violin with John Reid | London, UK | details |
Nov 14 | Chant du Destin with Ensemble Pygmalion (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Versailles, France | details |
Nov 15 | Chant du Destin with Ensemble Pygmalion (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Bordeaux, France | details |
Nov 16 | Chant du Destin with Ensemble Pygmalion (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Paris, France | details |
Nov 19 | Chant du Destin with Ensemble Pygmalion (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Hamburg, Germany | details |
Nov 20 | Chant du Destin with Ensemble Pygmalion (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Antwerp, Belgium | details |
Nov 22 | Chant du Destin with Ensemble Pygmalion (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Amsterdam, NL | details |
Nov 23 | Chant du Destin with Ensemble Pygmalion (dir. Raphael Pichon) | Dortmund Estonia | details |
Nov 25 | A Birthday Party for the King with Apollo’s Cabinet | Otepää, Estonia | details |
Nov 26 | A Birthday Party for the King with Apollo’s Cabinet | Tallinn, Estonia | details |
Dec 11 | John Adams with Scottish Chamber Orchestra (dir. Andrew Manze) | Edinburgh, UK | details |
Dec 12 | John Adams with Scottish Chamber Orchestra (dir. Andrew Manze) | Glasgow, UK | details |
Past
August 23 Zaide – Mozart with Ensemble Pygmalion at Salzburger Festspiele Salzburg, Austria details
August 19 Zaide – Mozart with Ensemble Pygmalion at Salzburger Festspiele Salzburg, Austria details
August 17 Zaide – Mozart with Ensemble Pygmalion at Salzburger Festspiele Salzburg, Austria details
August 5 Sing to the Lord a New Song with Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras Edinburgh, UK details
July 28 Sing to the Lord a New Song with Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras Snape Maltings, UK details
July 21 A musical love story “written by Handel” with Arcangelo Luberon, France details
July 18 A Birthday Party for the King with Apollo’s Cabinet Campdevànol, Spain details
July 17 A Birthday Party for the King with Apollo’s Cabinet La Seu d’Urgell, Spain details
July 14 A musical love story “written by Handel” with Arcangelo York, UK details
July 7 A musical love story “written by Handel” with Arcangelo Hindsgavl, Denmark details
July 1 A Birthday Party for the King with Apollo’s Cabinet Hamm, Germany details
June 29 La Passion Grecque – Bohuslav Martinu with Ensemble Pygmalion at Festival Pulsations Bordeaux, France details
June 28 La Passion Grecque – Bohuslav Martinu with Ensemble Pygmalion at Festival Pulsations Bordeaux, France details
June 26 La Passion Grecque – Bohuslav Martinu with Ensemble Pygmalion at Festival Pulsations Bordeaux, France details
June 24 La Passion Grecque – Bohuslav Martinu with Ensemble Pygmalion at Festival Pulsations Bordeaux, France details
Sophia Prodanova
Media
Sophia Prodanova
Get in Touch
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