Zhivka Klinkova facts for kids

Zhivka Klinkova (Bulgarian: Живка Клинкова; born July 30, 1924 – died December 23, 2002) was a very talented musician from Bulgaria. She was a composer, which means she wrote music, and also a pianist, playing the piano, and a conductor, leading musical groups.

Zhivka Klinkova was born in a town called Samokov in Bulgaria. She loved music from a young age. She went to the Sofia Academy of Music and finished her studies there in 1951. At the academy, she learned how to compose music from a teacher named Parashkev Hadjiev. She also learned to play the piano from Dimitar Nenov. After that, she continued her studies in Germany, at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik, with more famous teachers like Rudolf Wagner-Régeny and Boris Blacher.

From 1951 to 1960, Zhivka Klinkova worked as a conductor for the Kutev Folkloric Philharmonica. This was a special group that played traditional folk music. She also wrote many pieces of music for them to perform.

Her Music and Works

Zhivka Klinkova wrote many different kinds of music during her life. She composed operas, ballets, and pieces for orchestras and smaller groups of instruments. Here are some of her notable works:

Operas and Ballets

• Petko Samohvalko (Boastful Petko): This was a children's opera she wrote in 1956.
• Kaliakra: A ballet from 1966.
• Than saen (Vietnamese Poem): Another ballet, created in 1972.
• Quenny, the Little Negro: A children's ballet she composed in 1973.
• Isle of Dreams: A musical from 1978.
• The Most Improbable: A fairy-tale opera she wrote in 1980.
• Cyril and Methodius: An opera from 1981, about important historical figures.
• Vassil Levski: An opera she composed in 1992, named after a Bulgarian national hero.
• Olimpijski ustrem, Sanjat na Kuberten (Olympic Endeavour, Coubertin’s Dream): A rock opera-ballet from 1995.
• Sofia: An opera she wrote in 1996, named after the capital city of Bulgaria.

Orchestral and Instrumental Music

Zhivka Klinkova also wrote music for orchestras and smaller groups of instruments:

• Sinfonietta no.1: A short symphony from 1960.
• Bulgarian Sym. Suite no.1: A suite of pieces for orchestra, composed in 1963.
• Violin Concerto: A piece for violin and orchestra from 1964.
• Concerto: A concerto for two violins and strings, written in 1973.
• Symphony no.2: Her second symphony, composed in 1974.
• Cantata: A piece for chorus and orchestra from 1982.
• Pianoforte Concerto: A concerto for piano and strings, written in 1992.
• Pianoforte Sonata: A sonata for piano from 1950.
• Trio: A piece for bagpipes, composed in 1955.
• Sonata: A sonata for violin and piano from 1963.
• Sonata: A sonata for flute and viola, written in 1969.
• Duo: A piece for two kavals (a type of flute), composed in 1972.
• Trio: A trio for flute, oboe, and bassoon from 1974.
• 7 Frescoes: Seven pieces for two flutes, written in 1975.
• 8 Preludes: Eight preludes for two flutes, also from 1975.
• 10 Pieces: Ten pieces for a folk ensemble, composed in 1978.

Zhivka Klinkova passed away on December 23, 2002, leaving behind a rich collection of musical works.