On 22 November, marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo, soprano Mila Mihova and pianist Nikolay Stoykov invite audiences on a musical journey through Spain and its inspiring musical traditions.

The programme brings together the exquisite Spanish songs of Fernando Obradors, Rodrigo’s Cuatro madrigales amatorios, the passionate world of Manuel de Falla, and the virtuosic operatic miniatures of Léo Delibes and Ruperto Chapí. Completing the picture are works by Pauline Viardot, in which Spanish rhythms and melodies take on a distinctive charm.

Part of the Gardens of Spain festival, the concert celebrates the richness, temperament and beauty of Spanish music.

The event is made possible with the exceptional support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Bulgaria, while InterContinental Sofia is the official accommodation partner of the Gardens of Spain festival.

part of “gardens of spain” and “spanish autumn”

THE PERFORMERS

Milla Mihova – soprano
Nikolay Stoykov – piano

THE PROGRAMME

Fernando Obradors (1897–1945)
Canciones clásicas españolas

Joaquín Rodrigo (1901–1999)
Cuatro madrigales amatorios

Pauline Viardot (1821–1910)
Havanaise
Haí Lulí

Manuel de Falla (1876–1946)
Danza ritual del fuego
Siete canciones populares españolas

Léo Delibes (1836–1891)
Les filles de Cadix

Ruperto Chapí (1851–1909)
Las hijas del Zebedeo

Soprano Mila Mihova was born in Sofia and graduated from the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music. She studied singing with Darina Takova and pursued further studies with Renata Scotto at the Opera Studio of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. She is a scholarship recipient of the Raina Kabaivanska Foundation and the Boris Christoff Foundation.

Her international career has taken her to prestigious stages and festivals in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. In 2018, she made her debut at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro as Madame Cortese in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims. Her recent international engagements include her German debut as Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco at the Mainz State Theatre and as Madame Cortese at the Augsburg Opera.

In 2024 and 2025, she made a series of notable debuts at the Sofia Opera and Ballet, performing Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata, Alice Ford in Falstaff, and Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. Her active concert career also includes collaborations with leading Bulgarian and international musicians, among them Sir Bryn Terfel and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra.

Nikolay Stoykov began playing the piano and flute at the age of 11. His encounter with his first piano teacher, Teodora Shipkovenska, proved decisive in his choice to devote his life to music. He graduated with distinction from the National School of Music “Lyubomir Pipkov,” studying flute with Mila Pavlova, and later obtained a Master’s degree from the National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” under Prof. Lidia Oshavkova. Between 2010 and 2017, he continued his musical education in France — first at the Conservatory in Strasbourg in the flute class of Sandrine François (principal flute of the Strasbourg Philharmonic), and subsequently specializing for three years with the world-renowned flutist Patrick Gallois in Paris.
His passion for early music led him to study harpsichord and Baroque performance practice with French harpsichordists Joël Pontet and Violine Cochard.
Nikolay Stoykov is the recipient of numerous awards as a soloist and chamber musician from national and international competitions, including “Young Virtuosos,” “Music and Earth,” the Academic Competition “Nikola Stefanov,” among others.
He has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician in Bulgaria and abroad, and has appeared at festivals such as “ppIANISSIMO,” “New Bulgarian Music,” and “The Art of Baroque.”
His repertoire spans works from the Renaissance to contemporary music, and he is guided by the belief that what is essential for an artist is to be unique and to develop a genuine musical voice, transforming each concert into an emotional experience shared with the audience.