Bella Hristova to Perform Concerto Series with Eight Major Orchestras

Violinist Bella Hristova has announced her 2026-2027 season, highlighted by return performances with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (Dvořák), Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven), Maryland Symphony Orchestra (Barber), Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (Korngold), Quad City Symphony Orchestra and The Phoenix Symphony (Britten), Santa Rosa Symphony (Vivaldi and Piazzolla), Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra (Wynton Marsalis), and China's Wuxi Symphony Orchestra (David Serkin Ludwig). She returns as a frequent collaborator with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for several programs and serves as a jury member for the 2026 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, of which she is a Laureate.

Spring 2027 brings the world premiere recording release of Hristova's multi-year commissioning project, Lineage, which explores the evolution and breadth of unaccompanied violin writing, inspired by the solo violin works of Johann Sebastian Bach and Eugène Ysaÿe. The project grew from her studies of Ysaÿe's Six Sonatas for Solo Violin with her mentor, Jaime Laredo. Laredo's own teacher, Josef Gingold, studied with Ysaÿe – a direct line she felt acutely while learning the works. The recording comprises six newly commissioned solo violin works by Dai Wei, Gloria Kravchenko, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, Eunike Tanzil, Joan Tower, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, each reflecting the composer's individual voice and personal connection to the instrument. The world premiere recordings of all six works will be released on Azica Records in 2027. Select works from the project appear live during the season, including the world premiere of Tanzil's Rule of Three at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on October 15, 2026.

Summer 2026 marked several milestones for Hristova. She spent time in the studio recording Lineage, gave the world premiere of Dai Wei's Weighless at the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, and returned to Bulgaria to perform for the first time since leaving the country in 1999, appearing at the Off the Beaten Path Festival.

From September 17 to October 4, 2026, Hristova serves on the jury of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, of which she is a 2006 Laureate, joining a nine-member panel presided over by Jury President Jaime Laredo alongside David Chan, Jinjoo Cho, Pamela Frank, Yuzuko Horigome, Dong-Suk Kang, Cho-Liang Lin, and Svetlin Roussev. The 12th Quadrennial Competition has invited 40 violinists and culminates in the Finals on October 2 and 3, 2026 at Hilbert Circle Theatre, where six finalists perform a Romantic or post-Romantic concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin.

In her first orchestral engagement of the season, on October 10 and 11, 2026, Hristova performs Barber's Violin Concerto, Op. 14 with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra under Elizabeth Schulze on a program titled American Icons that also features Copland's Symphony No. 3 and Gershwin's Overture to Of Thee I Sing.

On October 15, 2026, Hristova joins pianist Gloria Chien for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's Art of the Recital series in the Rose Studio, giving the world premiere of Eunike Tanzil's Rule of Three, a CMS co-commission, alongside Stravinsky's Divertimento after Le baiser de la fée, Messiaen's Thème et Variations, Vladigerov's 'Horo' from Two Bulgarian Paraphrases, and Prokofiev's Sonata No. 1 in F minor.

Hristova appears as a special guest of the Santa Rosa Symphony's chamber music series at Brannan Center in Calistoga, California on November 6 and 7, 2026, where she performs Vivaldi's Four Seasons paired with Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, joined by Francesco Lecce-Chong as conductor and harpsichordist.

On November 15 and 16, 2026, Hristova returns to the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra to perform Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto in D under John Morris Russell, on a program with Dvořák's Symphony No. 7.

She appears next with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra on November 20 and 21, 2026 at the Belk Theater, performing Beethoven's Violin Concerto under Kwamé Ryan on a program that also includes Strauss's Ein Heldenleben.

Returning to New York's Alice Tully Hall on December 11, 2026, Hristova takes part in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's annual Baroque Festival with Bach and Sons: Passing the Torch, a program tracing the Bach family's musical evolution from the Baroque into the Classical style. She is joined by harpsichordist Kenneth Weiss, violinist Sean Lee, violist Matthew Lipman, cellist Dmitri Atapine, flutist Sooyun Kim, and oboist James Austin Smith. The program is reprised on December 12, 2026 at the Concert Hall at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey and on December 15, 2026 at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Missouri.

In the new year, Hristova performs Dvořák's Violin Concerto with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra on January 15 and 16, 2027 at Kleinhans Music Hall, on a program with Dvořák's Symphony No. 5 conducted by Valentina Peleggi.

On January 21, 2027, Hristova returns to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for Sonic Spectrum II, featuring the New York premiere of Benjamin Scheer's These Shrouded Hills alongside works by John Adams, Timo Andres, and George Tsontakis. She is joined by pianist Gloria Chien, violinist Chad Hoopes, violist Laura Liu, and cellist Jonathan Swensen.

Hristova performs Britten's Violin Concerto with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra under Mark Russell Smith on February 6, 2027 at the Adler Theatre in Davenport, Iowa, and again on February 7, 2027 at Centennial Hall in Rock Island, Illinois. The program also features Sibelius's Symphony No. 1.

She continues with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra on February 11 and 12, 2027 for Korngold's Violin Concerto under Aram Demirjian, on a program that also includes Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and Tchaikovsky's Suite from Swan Lake.

On March 12, 2027, Hristova returns to the Wuxi Symphony Orchestra at Wuxi Symphony Hall in China for a performance of David Serkin Ludwig's Violin Concerto conducted by JoAnn Falletta. The program also features de Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat Suite No. 2 and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5. Additional performances in China are to be announced.

Hristova concludes the season with The Phoenix Symphony on April 16, 17, and 18, 2027, performing Britten's Violin Concerto, Op. 15 under Carlos Izcaray on a program featuring Izcaray's Geometric Unity and Sibelius's Symphony No. 2.

2026-2027 Season Calendar

September 17 to October 4, 2026 – International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Jury Member. 12th Quadrennial Competition | Indianapolis, IN. www.violin.org

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 3:00 PM – American Icons with Maryland Symphony Orchestra. The Maryland Theatre | Hagerstown, MD. Tickets
Program: George Gershwin – Overture to Of Thee I Sing; Samuel Barber – Violin Concerto, Op. 14; Aaron Copland – Symphony No. 3. Elizabeth Schulze, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin; Maryland Symphony Orchestra.

Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 7:30 PM – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center – Art of the Recital. The Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Studio | New York, NY. Tickets
Program: Igor Stravinsky – Divertimento after Le baiser de la fée for Violin and Piano; Olivier Messiaen – Thème et Variations for Violin and Piano; Pancho Vladigerov – 'Horo' from Two Bulgarian Paraphrases for Violin and Piano, Op. 18, No. 1; Eunike Tanzil – Rule of Three [World Premiere, CMS Co-Commission]; Sergei Prokofiev – Sonata No. 1 in F minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 80. Bella Hristova, violin; Gloria Chien, piano.

Friday, November 6, 2026 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 3:00 PM – Santa Rosa Symphony Presents An Intimate Chamber Series. The Brannan Center | Calistoga, CA. Tickets
Program: Antonio Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, Op. 8, Nos. 1-4; Astor Piazzolla – Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Francesco Lecce-Chong, conductor and harpsichord; Bella Hristova, violin.

Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM and Monday, November 16, 2026 at 7:30 PM – Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Presents Bella Hristova: Marsalis Concerto. First Presbyterian Church | Hilton Head, SC. Tickets
Program: Wynton Marsalis – Violin Concerto in D Major; Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70. John Morris Russell, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin.

Friday, November 20, 2026 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 7:30 PM – Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Presents Bella Hristova in Strauss and Beethoven. Belk Theater | Charlotte, NC. Tickets
Program: Ludwig van Beethoven – Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61; Richard Strauss – Ein Heldenleben. Kwamé Ryan, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin.

Friday, December 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Baroque Festival – Bach and Sons: Passing the Torch. Alice Tully Hall | New York, NY. Tickets
Program: Johann Sebastian Bach – A Musical Offering, BWV 1079; Johann Christian Bach – Quintet in C Major, Op. 11, No. 1; Wilhelm Friedemann Bach – Chorale Prelude on Christe, der du bist Tag und Licht, F. 38, No. 2; Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – Fantasia in F-sharp minor for Violin and Harpsichord, H. 536; Johann Sebastian Bach – Fourteen Canons on the 'Goldberg' Variations, BWV 1087 (arr. Weiss). Bella Hristova, violin; Sean Lee, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Dmitri Atapine, cello; Sooyun Kim, flute; James Austin Smith, oboe; Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord.

Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 7:30 PM – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on Tour – Bach and Sons: Passing the Torch. Concert Hall at Drew University | Madison, NJ. Tickets (Program and artists as above.)

Tuesday, December 15, 2026 at 7:30 PM – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on Tour – Bach's Musical Offering. Folly Theater | Kansas City, MO. Tickets (Program and artists as above.)

Friday, January 15, 2027 at 10:30 AM and Saturday, January 16, 2027 at 7:30 PM – Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Kleinhans Music Hall | Buffalo, NY. Tickets
Program: Antonín Dvořák – Violin Concerto in A minor; Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 5. Valentina Peleggi, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Thursday, January 21, 2027 at 7:30 PM – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center – Sonic Spectrum II. The Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Studio | New York, NY. Tickets
Program: John Adams – Road Movies for Violin and Piano; George Tsontakis – Selections from Knickknacks for Violin and Viola; Benjamin Scheer – These Shrouded Hills for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello [New York Premiere]; Timo Andres – Quintet for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello. Bella Hristova, violin; Chad Hoopes, violin; Laura Liu, viola; Jonathan Swensen, cello; Gloria Chien, piano.

Saturday, February 6, 2027 at 7:30 PM – Bella Hristova with Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Adler Theatre | Davenport, IA. Tickets
Program: Benjamin Britten – Violin Concerto, Op. 15; Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 1. Mark Russell Smith, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin; Quad City Symphony Orchestra.

Sunday, February 7, 2027 at 2:00 PM – Bella Hristova with Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Centennial Hall | Rock Island, IL. Tickets (Program and artists as above.)

Thursday, February 11, 2027 at 7:30 PM and Friday, February 12, 2027 at 7:30 PM – Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Presents Valentine's Romance: Swan Lake and More. Tennessee Theatre | Knoxville, TN. Tickets
Program: Richard Wagner – Tristan und Isolde; Erich Wolfgang Korngold – Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35; Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Suite from Swan Lake. Aram Demirjian, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin; Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Friday, March 12, 2027 – Bella Hristova with Wuxi Symphony Orchestra. Wuxi Symphony Hall | Wuxi, China. Wuxi Symphony Orchestra
Program: Manuel De Falla – The Three-Cornered Hat Suite No. 2; David Serkin Ludwig – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (2015); Sergei Prokofiev – Symphony No. 5. JoAnn Falletta, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin.

Friday, April 16, 2027 at 11:30 AM, Saturday, April 17, 2027 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, April 18, 2027 at 2:00 PM – The Phoenix Symphony Presents Bella, Britten and Sibelius. Symphony Hall | Phoenix, AZ. Tickets
Program: Carlos Izcaray – Geometric Unity; Benjamin Britten – Violin Concerto, Op. 15; Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 2. Carlos Izcaray, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin; The Phoenix Symphony.

More About Bella Hristova

Bulgarian-American violinist Bella Hristova has won international acclaim for her 'expressive nuance and rich tone' (The New York Times) and 'impressive power and control' (The Washington Post). A recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, she has distinguished herself as a performing artist with a remarkably diverse repertoire, bold approach to programming, and a warmly beguiling stage presence.

A devoted champion of music by living composers, Hristova was the featured soloist in a concerto written for her by her husband, composer David Serkin Ludwig, and commissioned by a consortium of eight orchestras across the United States. She also premiered the violin concerto of New Zealand composer Anthony Ritchie.

Hristova has performed extensively as a soloist with orchestras around the United States, 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, as well as orchestras in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and New Zealand. In addition to her many appearances with orchestras, she has held residencies at top conservatories and summer music festival programs. She has performed recitals at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

As a recording artist, Hristova has released a variety of albums reflecting 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 presents the solo violin works of Belgian composer Charles de Bériot. Following multiple tours with pianist Michael Houstoun, the duo has released the complete Beethoven Sonatas, the complete Brahms Sonatas, and an album of French sonatas by Ravel, Poulenc, and Fauré. Most recently, she recorded Ludwig's violin concerto with JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, about which Gramophone Magazine raved, 'Hristova plays with great relish and complete commitment.'

Hristova began 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. She launched her career as a winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, spending her early professional years as a member of the YCA roster. In addition to receiving the 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant, she has won numerous awards, including First Prize in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition and Laureate of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.

Hristova plays a 1655 Nicolò Amati violin, once owned by the violinist Louis Krasner. She is a dedicated runner and ran her first New York City Marathon in 2025. She lives in New York with her husband, David, and their four cats. Learn more at www.bellahristova.com.

Photo Credit: Dario Acosta