Sveta Paraskeva Academic Choir at the National Academy of Art Sofia, Bulgaria

Sveta Paraskeva Academic Choir at the National Academy of Art Sofia, Bulgaria

Conductor: Galina Lukanova

Sveta Paraskeva Academic Choir at the National Academy of Art is a direct successor to Sveta Paraskeva Choir School, which was founded and headed by the great Bulgarian conductor and pedagogue Mrs. Petya Pavlovich (1939-2007). The continuator of her work is her longstanding assistant and former deputy conductor of the ensemble, namely Galina Lukanova.

The newly re-established choir has been in existence since March, 2008. It participated in many concerts and festivals in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Austira, Hungary and Serbia. The repertoire of the Sveta Paraskeva Academic Choir is rich and varied, covering works from the oldest layers of world music to contemporary works in a new and youthful interpretation; church, folk and pop music, as well as songs in different languages.

Galina Lukanova graduated National Academy of Music, Sofia, Bulgaria. She studied choral conducting under the tutelage of prof. Georghi Robev and prof. Theodora Pavlovitch. She took part in the master class of the European Academy for Young Choral Conductors, Marktoberdorf, Germany under prof. W. Hempfling (Germany) and prof. P. Ledger (Great Britain). Galina Lukanova has PHD degree in Folkloristic and she is an associate at the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.  She has also worked as an assistant and conductor of Sveta Paraskeva Choir School, conductor of Male Chamber Choir “Paroria” and Children’s Choir “Zvezditsi”, Sofia. She taught ear training and headed the school choir at the National School for Music and Performing Arts, Burgas and she was a teacher in department of Music at Sofia University. Galina Lukanova is assisting conductor of Vassil Arnaoudov Sofia Chamber Choir. From 2015 to 2018 Galina Lukanova is President of Bulgarian Choral Union.