The Bulgarian violinist Zefira Valova graduated at the National Music Academy of her native Sofia, Bulgaria, and specialized baroque violin with Lucy van Dael at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Zefira Valova is the founder of the Sofia Baroque Arts Festival, the only annual event dedicated to early music and historically informed practice in Bulgaria. During the last 3 concerts seasons, the Sofia music scene included various performances of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra with 18th century repertoire, conducted by Zefira Valova.
She has been awarded “Musician of 2017” by the Bulgarian National Radio.
Since 2015 Zefira is collaborating with Il Pomo d’Oro orchestra as concertmaster and leader. She has led performances with the cellist Edgar Moreau and with mezzo soprano Ann Hallenberg, among others.
Frequently, Zefira is a guest soloist and concertmaster of Helsinki Baroque Orchestra with musical director Aapo Hakkinen.
During 7 consecutive seasons, she was concertmaster of the European Union Baroque Orchestra, under direction of Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Ton Koopman, Roy Goodman and Petra Mullejans. From 2011 until 2015, she performed as soloist and concertmaster of Les Ambassadeurs, an ensemble directed by the flutist Alexis Kossenko.
As an orchestra member, Zefira Valova collaborated with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment, Chambre Philharmonique, B’Rock, Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien and Cordevento.
Among Zefira’s recent CD recordings are conducting arias by Vinci with countertenor Franco Fagioli, Bach concertos with the violinist Shunske Santo -featuring the double BWV 1043, conducting arias by Händel with Franco Fagioli, first violin in harpsicord concertos with Marcin Swietkewicz, and in Agrippina by Il Pomo d’Oro, directed by Maxim Emelianychev and Joyce Di Donato in the title role.
She has recorded for, among others, Deutsche Grammophon, Erato, Alpha, Channel Classics, Bulgarian National Televsion and Radio, Arte and Mezzo.