Biography
Katia Popov
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Award winning violinist KATIA POPOV has held the positions of Concertmaster of the Sofia Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra. Continuing her studies in the Paris Conservatory, she became a Concertmaster of the European Symphony Orchestra with whom she recorded and traveled extensively throughout Europe. After moving to the United States, Katia became a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Principal II Violin of the Long Beach Symphony, and Concertmaster of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
She is a recipient of the Grand Prize of the International Violin Competition Kozian, First Prize at the Jeunesse Musicale Competition for chamber music and First Prize at the International Violin Competition Nedialka Simeonova. She also had a “Fulbright” Scholarship at the Academy of Music In Sofia.
Katia Popov is the first woman Concertmaster of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Under the baton of such conductors as John Mauceri, John Williams, Thomas Wilkins, David Newman and Bramwel Tovey she has performed with some of the biggest stars in the show business like Placido Domingo, Sir James Galloway, Joshua Bell, Marilyn Horne, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Beck, Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire and many more.
She also has performed numerous times with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has been part of such festivals as Salzburg, Bach Music Festival, Spoletto and Brahms Festival in Tour France. She has collaborated with such artists as Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonnen, Yo Yo Ma, Pinkas Zukerman, Sir Simon Rattle, Izhak Perlman. Her teachers include Iona Brown, Nell Goutkovsky, Vladimir Spivakov and Alexander Treger.
Katia is a busy recording musician who has recorded more then 600 scores for the Motion Pictures in Los Angeles where she has worked for many of the most sought after composers in Hollywood.
Ms. Popov is a founder and first violinist of the Award winning California String Quartet and is the Music Director of the Musical Sunday Afternoons, popular chamber music concert series in Los Angeles.
She has performed as a soloist with the Sofia Philharmonic, the European Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Chamber Orchestra, Redlands Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, the Long Beach Symphony and the Santa Monica Symphony, amongst others.
Katia is also an official endorser of the famous Thomastic Infeld “Vision Solo” Violin Strings from Vienna and the voice of the popular classical radio station “K-Mozart”. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Peter, daughter Irina, son Alexander and little yorkie named Zip!! In her “spare” time she loves to make jewelry and her favorite off time is going to Mammoth and Hawaii. Read about Katia by clicking: www.KatiaPopov.com
* Instrument
Pietro Guarneri of Mantua, Italy – 1691, Ex Wilhelmj.
* Selected Reviews
“Popov’s musical voice was powerful, rich and full of life, her technique flawless and the collaboration with Diemecke delicately exact. ” – John Farrel, Press Telegram
“Our soloist, Katia Popov, was fabulous. She has a beautiful sound that is bigger than some of the international soloists we’ve heard over the years, as well as technique to burn. She delivered a magnificent performance, using her magic fingers to surmount myriad hurdles with jaw-dropping ease. ” – Jim Ruggirello, Long Beach Grunion, Gazzette Publications
“… Shining through like a bright light, soloist Katia Popov lit up the stage with her work on Bruch’s tuneful Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor. Popov, completely in control of herself and her instrument, gave a very exciting reading of it, played with precision, admirable clarity and Slavic flair. She coolly conveyed with the requisite power the piece’ demands…” – The Outlook
“We heard the perfect recital in Beverly Hills on October 24th, when we sat in on a performance by violinist Katia Popov and pianist Randy Kerber. Both were outstanding as they essayed Beethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Opus 47, and Franck’s Sonata for violin and piano in A major.” – The Outlook
“Speaking strictly in terms of execution, the chamber music concert given by the California String Quartet on April 24th at the Zipper represented complete musical perfection. Under the leadership of violinist Katia Popov, the group was clearly well rehearsed and played as if of one mind. the California String Quartet demonstrated that Chamber Music can be sublime, when prepared and executed with the sort of care apparent to all who were fortunate enough to hear it this night. “ – Charles Lonberger