Bulgarian cellist Liliana Kehayova, a fourth generation musician, is currently a Cello Professor at New Bulgarian University and since 2014 the general secretary of the International Music Acamdemy Orpheus in Vienna. As a passionate solo and chamber music performer, Ms. Kehayova has participated in numerous music festivals and recitals throughout Europe such as “International Sommer Academy Prag-Wien-Budapest” ISA (Austria, 2008) and “International Music Academy Orpheus” in Vienna, where Lilyana is a regular participant with full scholarship since 2010.
In January 2017 she made a recording of 7 Sonatas for violin and basso continuo with Mario Hossen and Pierro Barbareschi for the CD Label Dynamik and in March performed the Triple Concerto from L.v.Beethoven under the direction of the conductor Marius Stravinsky in Udine. In April 2016 she played a duo recital with Mario Hossen in the spring concert cycle of Botin foundation and in July the same year was invited to participate in the Festival “Marile serate musicale alle Bucurestiului” in the Athenaeum Bucharest. In 2014, Lilyana participated in the prestigious “La Musicale/Williencourt Croisirama” festival, where she performed six solo and chamber music concerts in six different counties on the Danube river coast. Other chamber music appearances include the Mesembria Orphica International Festival and Festival Udine Castello. Ms. Kehayova performed as a soloist with orchestras as Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Mitteleuropa Orchestra Udine, North Checz Philharmonic Teplice, Varna Philhamonic Orchestra, “New Symphony Orchestra”, Sinfonietta Vratza, “Camerata Orphica”, Chamber Orchestra “Orpheus”(Bulgaria) etc.
Liliana has had the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with cellist such as Anton Niculescu (Romania), Dominique De Williencourt (France), Joseph Luitz (Austria), Vladimir Perlin (Russia), Martina Shucan (Switzerland), Wolfgang Panhofer (Austria), etc. Ms. Kehayova has been honored to perform chamber music concerts with musicians such as Mario Hosen (violin), Gerard Causse (viola), Vladimir Mendelssohn (viola), Boris Mersson (piano), Wolfgang Klos (viola), Milena Mollova (piano), Luisa Sello (flute), Wladimir Kossjanenko (viola), Romain Leleu (trumpet), Raffaele Mallozzi (viola), Rudolf Leopold (cello) and others. She has performed in venues such as Musikverein (Vienna), Athenaeum (Bucharest), Rudolfinum- Dvorak Hall and Smetana Hall (Prague), Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona), Bulgaria Hall (Sofia).
Ms. Kehayova has won numerous solo and chamber music competitions throughout Europe among which first prize of the Vienna Conservatory Competition “Fidelio” (2013), first prize of “Concertino Prague” (Czech Republic, 2006) followed by an invitation for a tour across Europe, first prize of “Young Virtuosos” (Bulgaria, chamber music – 2007 and 2004, and solo cello – 2005), first prize of “Young Musical Talents” (Bulgaria, 2002), first prize of the international competition for German and Austrian music “M.A.G.I.C.” (Bulgaria, 2001), first prize of “Svetoslav Obretenov” (Bulgaria, 2000), and others.
During her studies in Bulgaria, Liliana was awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria for her great achievements in the field of arts. In addition, in 2007, she was one of a few chosen to represent her native Bulgaria on several concerts throughout Europe celebrating the accession of Bulgaria to the European Union. Ms. Kehayova is a recipient of scholarships of “Thomastik – Infeld Vienna” (2010) and “Bank Austria” (2012). In 2012, she was honored with the grand scholarship of the Austrian foundation “Alban Berg”.
Liliana Kehayova graduated from the National School of Music “Lyubomir Pipkov” (Sofia, Bulgaria) in 2008 in the cello class of Anna Atanasova and in 2018 received her Master degree in cello performance in the Vienna Conservatory studying with Lilia Schulz-Bayrova.
