Guest Artist
Bella Hristova
Bulgarian-American violinist Bella Hristova has won international acclaim for her “expressive nuance and rich tone,” as praised by the New York Times, and “impressive power and control,” noted by The Washington Post. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, she has distinguished herself on the world stage as a performing artist with a remarkably diverse repertoire and bold approach to programming. Hristova has won numerous awards including First Prize in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition, First Prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and is a Laureate of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.
Hristova has performed extensively as a soloist with orchestras around the world, including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and the Hawaii, Kansas City, and Milwaukee Symphonies.
Her international appearances span Asia, Europe, Latin America, and New Zealand.
Highlights of her 2022-23 season included performances of the Wynton Marsalis Violin Concerto with the New Bedford and Santa Rosa Symphonies, the Korngold Concerto with the Anchorage and Charlotte Symphonies, the Prokofiev First Concerto with the Columbus Symphony, and the Bruch Scottish Fantasy with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Hristova also joined The Phoenix Symphony in January to play a violin concerto composed by her husband, David Ludwig, as a wedding present.
The 2023-24 season included performances of the Wynton Marsalis Violin Concerto with the Charleston Symphony and Eugene Philharmonic, the Barber Concerto with the Orlando Philharmonic, Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and Prokofiev’s Second Concerto with the New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall.
Hristova frequently performs with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has held residencies at top conservatories and summer music festivals. She has given recitals at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Boston’s Isabella Gardner Museum.
As a recording artist, Hristova’s albums reflect her broad musical interests. “Bella Unaccompanied,” released on Tonegold Records, features works by John Corigliano, Kevin Puts, Astor Piazzolla, Nathan Milstein, and J.S. Bach. Her Naxos debut album showcases the solo violin works of Belgian composer Charles de Beriot. Following multiple tours of New Zealand with pianist Michael Houstoun, they recorded the complete Beethoven Sonatas for Piano and Violin, named a “Best Classical Album of 2019” by the New Zealand Listener, and the complete Brahms sonatas.
Hristova began her violin studies at the age of six in her native Bulgaria. After gaining accolades following master classes in Salzburg with Ruggiero Ricci, she studied with Ida Kavafian at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and received her Artist Diploma with Jaime Laredo at Indiana University. Hristova plays a 1655 Nicolò Amati violin, once owned by violinist Louis Krasner. She lives in New York City with her husband David and their four beloved (but poorly behaved) cats.
Watch Bella with Sedona Symphony
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1
