PILEKADONE Quintet is a woodwind ensemble composed of talented musicians, each of whom maintains an active career as an orchestral soloist in Bulgaria’s leading orchestras – the Sofia Philharmonic, the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the “Cantus Firmus” Orchestra.

Members:

Mila Pavlova – flute

Valentin Metodiev – oboe

Venelin Piperov – clarinet

Yasen Teodosiev – horn

Evgeni Tonev – bassoon

PILEKADONE has performed independent concerts at major international festivals such as Sofia Music Weeks, Days of Music at the Balabanov House, Varna Summer, in the Austrian Pavilion FLUCA, Night of Museums and Galleries – Plovdiv, Ohrid Summer Festival (North Macedonia), Musica in trincea (Italy), Musicarissimo Fest, and at international cultural tourism fairs. The ensemble also opened the program Concerts for Little Ones and Giants and many others.

Their tours abroad are met with great success, featuring performances at the Bulgarian Cultural Centers in London and Budapest, as well as in Italy, Germany, North Macedonia, and elsewhere. The quintet received the “Golden Lyre” Award (2019) from the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers for outstanding achievements in performing arts, and the “Acad. Marin Goleminov” National Award (2023) for high artistic accomplishments in chamber music.

Bulgarian composers such as Academician Vasil Kazandjiev, the renowned Dobrinа Tabakova (GRAMMY nominee), world-acclaimed Hollywood composer Penka Kouneva, the distinguished Albena Petrovic-Vratchanska, the prominent Yavor Gaydov, and many others have written and dedicated works especially for the quintet.

PILEKADONE’s projects go beyond traditional presentations of the classical repertoire, often incorporating multimedia and collaborations with notable artists such as the celebrated actor Valentin Ganev from the National Theatre, Shakespeare translator and poet Prof. Alexander Shurbanov, actress and BNT host Iskra Angelova, the Sofia Boys Choir conducted by Adriana Blagoeva, children performers, and many others.

Among the ensemble’s original and innovative projects are:

Concerts featuring guest artists such as Albena Danailova (concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic), Joanna Kamenarska (concertmaster of the Hamburg Philharmonic), renowned percussionist Vivi Vassileva, and Sava Stoyanov (principal trumpet of Ensemble Modern, Germany);

The musical performance “Romeo and Juliet – The Eternal Romance of Verona” with music from Shakespeare’s era; The program “A Night at the Opera” featuring soprano Evgenia Ralcheva; The project “Music for PILEKADONE” with works written specifically for the ensemble; “Romeo and Juliet vs. West Side Story” with soprano Stefani Krasteva and tenor Emil Pavlov; The chamber musical “My Fair Lady” with soloists Edellina Kaneva and Marcho Apostolov from the Musical Theatre, and many more.

Mila Pavlova – flute

Mila Pavlova is a distinguished flutist with a brilliant career and numerous prestigious awards, including prizes from competitions in Bulgaria and Belgium. She is the Artistic Director of the Days of Music at the Balabanov House and Musicarissimo Fest, and an active soloist and pedagogue with international recognition.

Valentin Metodiev – oboe

Valentin Metodiev is Principal Oboist of the Sofia Philharmonic and a laureate of renowned competitions in Bulgaria and Belgium. A member of the Chigiana Summer Academy Symphony Orchestra in Siena, Italy, he has held the position of first oboist of the Sofia Philharmonic since 1999.

Venelin Piperov – clarinet

Venelin Piperov is a Bulgarian clarinetist who graduated from the National Music Academy “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” and the Music Academy in Munich, where he earned a concert performance degree. He has received numerous national and international awards and is a long-time member of chamber ensembles such as the Pilekadone Quintet and the Iotzov Clarinet Sextet.

Yasen Teodosiev – French horn

Prof. Yasen Teodosiev is a prominent horn player and educator, who specialized under Hermann Baumann in Switzerland. A laureate of national awards and long-time soloist with the BNR Symphony Orchestra and Classic FM, he is currently Dean of the Instrumental Faculty at the National Music Academy “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” and performs as soloist with leading orchestras and chamber ensembles.

Evgeni Tonev – bassoon

Evgeni Tonev is a bassoonist with an extensive concert and recording career for BNR, BNT, and Classic FM Radio. As soloist with the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra and an experienced educator, he actively contributes to the development of Bulgarian musical culture.