Dobrinka Tabakova

Born in Plovdiv in 1980, Dobrinka Tabakova is one of Bulgaria's most distinguished contemporary composers with an international career. At the age of 14, she won the Jean-Frédéric Perrenoud Prize at the 4th International Music Competition in Vienna. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, where she received the Witold Lutosławski Prize (1999), and later earned a PhD in Composition from King's College London, receiving the Adam Prize (2007).

Her work Praise was performed at St Paul's Cathedral during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II. Her compositions have been featured at prestigious international events, including the Songs for the Sun World Choir Festival in Riga, Mozartwoche in Salzburg, and concerts at the Musikverein in Vienna. In 2011, she received The Sorel Award for Choral Music in New York.

Tabakova's music has been performed throughout Europe, the United States, China, and Australia by distinguished artists including Gidon Kremer, Janine Jansen, Maxim Rysanov, Kristine Blaumane, Natalie Clein, Miloš Karadaglić, and Ivan Yanakov. Her works have been commissioned by leading musical institutions, including the Royal Philharmonic Society.

In 2013, ECM Records released her debut album, String Paths, which received critical acclaim from BBC Music Magazine, Stereo Magazine, and International Music Reviews, and reached the Top 3 of the UK classical music charts. Later that year, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Classical Compendium.