Bulgarian-American violinist Bella Hristova has won international acclaim for her “expressive nuance and rich tone” (New York Times) and “impressive power and control” (Washington Post). An Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, she has also won First Prize in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition, First Prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and Laureate of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.

Ms. Hristova has performed extensively as a soloist with orchestras in North and South America, Asia, Europe, and New Zealand. In addition to her many appearances with orchestras, she has performed recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and performs frequently with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Following multiple tours of New Zealand with renowned pianist Michael Houstoun, the pair have recorded the complete Beethoven and Brahms violin sonatas.

A champion of music by living composers, Ms. Hristova has commissioned composers including Joan Tower and Nokuthula Ngwenyama. In 2016, she was the featured soloist for a consortium of eight major orchestras for a new concerto commission written for her by her husband, acclaimed composer David Serkin Ludwig. The world premiere recording of the concerto was recently released with JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ms. Hristova began violin studies at the age of six in her native Bulgaria. She later studied with Ida Kavafian at the Curtis Institute of Music, and Jaime Laredo at Indiana University. She plays on a 1655 Amati violin and lives in New York City with her husband David and their four beloved (but poorly behaved) cats.