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Elena Cholakova, piano
Bulgarian pianist Elena Cholakova has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in Eastern and Western Europe, South America and the United States. She has given solo recitals at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, Bulgaria Hall and Sofia Conservatory in Sofia, Bulgaria, Aosta Concert Hall in Aosta, Italy, Fellbach Musicschulle in Fellbach, Germany, Fazioli Salon in Chicago, IL, and more. She has toured the south-east United States as a member of the American Chamber Music Society. Her performances have been broadcasted live on NPR, Atlanta's - WABE, Chicago's classical music radio station WFMT, Bulgarian TV and radio stations.
Cholakova has collaborated with members of the New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and has appeared at the International Chamber Music Festival in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, as a member of the Atlanta Chamber Players. She regularly performs in Atlanta's premier Spivey Hall, and has premiered commissioned works by leading American composers. During the summer, she performs at the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival in North Carolina as well as the International Days of Music Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Cholakova is a recipient of Rislov Foundation Scholarship of University of Michigan, awarded to musicians nationwide, for their high achievements in the field of music. Specializing in Chopin's Preludes, Op.28, she has presented lecture recitals at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia as well as MTNA conferences. A dedicated educator, Cholakova holds a special interest for teaching. Her students have won top prizes at a number of national and international competitions. Cholakova holds a MMus and DMus from Northwestern University, studying with James Giles and Ursula Oppens. She joined the faculty of Emory University in Atlanta, GA in 2010.