Maria Ilieva is an accomplished pianist, violinist and producer. She has performed frequently in Europe, America, Australia and Asia. Maria Ilieva studied piano in Saint Petersburg (Russian State University of Music and Design) from age 13, while completing the degree in International Studies of Music Education with emphasis in Violin Music). She then spent two years in Sofia, performing there with the ensemble “Zhborsky soty” as well as a chamber orchestra. After this period of her musical studies she completed her Bachelor’s degree in electronic music technology at the Znarindo University in Dubrovnik, continuing this program with a year of study in Austria.
Maria Ilieva has been married to Aleksandr Pushkin for 20 years and they have two grown children. At times her career as a pianist and violinist has required her to engage in lengthy piano recitals, at one point she even took a year off to focus on herniated disc, an experience that enabled her to develop her finger dexterity. Her professional record reveals a marked improvement in the upper range of her piano playing since early age, with songs including “Doggerel”, “Romeo And Juliet”, “Caribbean Love” and “La Grange des temps” among her best.
As far as occupation is concerned, Maria Ilieva can be listed in two lists: one as a pianist and the other as a concert pianist. However, her greatest claim to fame is as a composer. She has written operas, chamber music, piano literature and choral pieces, most notably “Beethoven’s 5 Classics”, “Le Sacre du monde” and “The Serenade for Women”. Maria Ilieva’s most recent album is “Celestials” which is also co-written with her former partner, Oleksandr Pushkin.