[05] International Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova Competition for Violinists

The International Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova Competition for Violinists started in 1981.

In the city of Haskovo, the 1^st Music Days in honor of Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova took place in 1969. The Music Days included concerts and creative meetings of young violinists, with competition characteristics. This creative meeting was developed into a competition program and later, on the occasion of the 12^th Music Days “Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova”, in 1981, this creative meeting was separated from the Music Days, but still under the title ‘creative meeting’. In 1984 it announced its title as ‘competition for specialty violin’. It takes place in the city of Haskovo, which is a hometown of Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova, violinist. The organizer is the Municipality of Haskovo.

Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova was born in Haskovo on 02.12.1901. She grew up in the family of  musicians. She received her first violin lessons from his father. In childhood, at the age of 7, she performed "Dream" by Schumann and strongly attracted the attention of notable specialists in this field. Whe she was only eleven years old, she performed concerts across the country. In 1913, she made a big concert tour in the USA, where she achieved incredible success for her age - in the press they wrote about her as a "child prodigy". After returning from the USA, she studied with Prof. G. Havemann at the Dresden Academy of Music, and during In 1921-1923, she was again in the USA, where she studied under the greatest pedagogue at that time - Lepold von Auer. Even bigger world tour concerts were planned and committed. In 1946, N. Simeonova defended the title of professor. She gave concerts in Bulgaria and in foreign contires, presenting the dignity of Bulgarian violin music. For her services and contribution to the Bulgarian musical culture, Nedyalka Simeonova has been awarded high state awards, the Dimitrov Prize and the title "Deserved Artist". Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova devotes a significant part of her creative potential to teaching young people. She passed away on 14.03.1959 in Paris. She never forgot her hometown of Haskovo and always played with the greatest inspiration on her visit to Haskovo. The Haskovo community expresses its appreciation for the world-famoug violinist Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova through musical days established in 1972 - musical festive holidays and creative meetings of the youth - violinists, which have been held annually since then.