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'Viviana Savova' (born 15 July 1977) is a South African - Bulgarian classical pianist. She first came to international fame as a child prodigy at the age of nine. She has a wide repertoire and is known for her interpretations of the works of Frédéric Chopin, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Sergei Rachmaninoff, as well as of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Life

Early life and career

Savova was born in Varna to a family of medical doctors. Recognized as a child prodigy at age nine, she began piano studies at National School of Arts Dobri Christov Varna. At the school she became a student of Maria Gineva.

At the age of nine Savova made her debut performing Haydn's Piano Concerto No.11 in D Major with the Varna Philharmonic Orchestra. The same year, Savova gave her first recital in Varna and Sofia, Bulgaria. Savova's talents were revealed to the international scene in 1986, at the age of nine, when she got 3rd prize at Virtuosi per musica di pianoforte at Usti na Labem in the Czech Republic. The following year at the age of ten, she won 1st prize at Concorso internazionale di musica per I giovani “Citta di Stresa” in Italy.

Her talent and achievements resulted in a recording for Bulgarian radio and television being made.

Savova's first appearances outside of Bulgaria were in 1988 where she performed in collaboration with the Zimbabwe College of Music for then president Robert Mugabe which were then followed by concerts in South Africa, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Czech Republic.

In 1989, Savova won 3^rd Prize at the International Piano Competition in Marsala, Italy.

She graduated from the National School of Arts Dobri Christov Varna and her family immigrated to South Africa in 1991 where she studied at Pro Arte Alphen Park School of Music in Pretoria under Professor Joseph Stanford – Pretoria University of Music, South Africa.

In 1994, Savova won 1^st Prize at the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition, the Chopin Prize for the Best Performance of Chopin and the Special Prize of Hennie Joubert at the Hennie Joubert Pianoforte Competition. In the same year, she won 1^st Prize at the Trustbank National Music Competition and Overall Winner of the competition for the Best Musician in South Africa. She played Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra,Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the Port Elizabeth Philharmonic Orchestra. She also made recordings for South African radio and television media.

At the age of seventeen, Savova returned to Bulgaria to continue her education where she won 4^th Prize Etlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in Germany and 1^st Prize at the International Competition for French Music Albert Roussel and the Special Prize of Albert Roussel in Sofia, Bulgaria. The result of which was another recording made for Bulgarian radio and television about her achievements.

She graduated from the National Academy of Music Professor Pancho Vladigerov Sofia in the class of Professor Stella Dimitrova – Maistorova to which she then participated at ppIANISSIMO International Festival for Contemporary Piano Music in 2007 and having different concerts with philharmonic orchestras in Bulgaria playing Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff piano concertos.

Other piano teachers who aided in her development were:

Professors Julia and Konstantin Ganev – Academy of Music, Tokyo, Japan.

Professor Isabella Stengel – Durban University of Music, South Africa.

Associate Professor Ilia Tchernaev – Sofia Academy of Music, Bulgaria.

Personal Life

Savova has one child, a four year old boy named Valery Savov.

Awards and recognition

Usti na Labem Czech Republic – 3^rd Prize at Virtuosi per musica di pianoforte
Citta di Stresa Italy – 1^st Prize at Concorso internazionale di musica per I giovani “Citta di Stresa”
Marsala Italy – 3^rd Prize at the International Piano Competition in Marsala, Italy.
South Africa – 1^st Prize at Hennie Joubert Piano Competition, Chopin Prize for the Best Performance of Chopin and the Special Prize of Hennie Joubert
South Africa – 1^st Prize at Trustbank National Music Competition and Overall Winner of the competition for the Best Musician in South Africa.
Germany – 4^th Prize Etlingen International Competition for Young Pianists.
Bulgaria, Sofia – 1^st Prize at the International Competition for French Music Albert Roussel and the Special Prize of Albert Roussel.
Bulgaria, Sofia – Participated at ppIANISSIMO International Festival for Contemporary Piano Music.