Emilia Mihaylova  and  Valentina Seferinova Duet

Programme

    Debussy, Achille-Claude

        The Complete Works of Claude Debussy for 4 Hands Piano - "Integrale".

Emilia Mihaylova and Valentina Seferinova Piano Duet began in 1997.  At that time they were colleagues at The National Academy of Music, Sofia, Bulgaria – Emilia, an Associate Professor at the “Piano” Department; and Valentina an Assistant Professor at the same Department.

Beginning in 1991, Emilia Mihaylova began a project to accomplish the whole of Debussy’s piano works, for the first time in Bulgaria. It took her years to find the right partner to complete Debussy’s “Integrale” Piano Music for 4 hands. Her meeting with Valentina Seferinova was a pivotal milestone in this project; with Valentina also taking the project to her heart.

In September 1998, Emilia and Valentina played the complete piano works of Debussy for four hands (“Integrale”) in a concert at Hall “Bulgaria”, Sofia, and the premier performance in Bulgaria.  This concert was recorded digitally and subsequently issued on CD; and also broadcast on Bulgarian Radio and by Bulgarian National Television.

Following the issue of this CD, Emilia and Valentina were invited to play Debussy’s “Integrale” in the Yvonne Lefébure Auditorium at the Claude Debussy House and Museum, St. Germain-en-Laye, Paris on 21^st. August 1999; an accolade rarely granted and given more significance by the anniversary of Debussy’s birth date being 22^nd August.  This appearance was a double premiere itself; the first time "Integrale" had been performed there; and the first appearance of any Bulgarian pianists there (pictured above - sitting at the piano).

For Emilia Mihaylova this was an emotional return to her student roots, as the auditorium has been dedicated to one of her mentors – Yvonne Lefébure (whose picture hangs on the wall behind them - above); and the culmination of her original dream.