
Concert violinist, violin professor at the Royal Conservatory of Mons /Belgium/ and artistic director of Sliven Symphony Orchestra /Bulgaria/, Kremena Oksenkrug is considered by the critics as an extremely expressive and creative young musician.
Born in Bulgaria, Kremena Oksenkrug started to play the violin at the age of six. Several years later, she continued her education at the National School of Music and Arts “Prof.P.Vladigerov” in Bourgas, and after at the National Music Academy “Pancho Vladigerov” in Sofia. At the age of eleven, she began to perform many concerts as a soloist with bulgarian orchestras in some of the most important bulgarian concert halls /Academic Symphony Orchestra of Sofia, Opera and Philharmonic Society Burgas, Sliven Symphony Orchestra, LM Collegium Musicum, Vidin Symphony Orchestra, Vratsa Symphony Orchestra/. She won the prestigious scholarship “Gallery of Bulgarian Talents” in 2007/2008.
During the following years she enriched her musical knowledge under the guidance of artists such as Zakhar Bron, Michael Frischenschlager, Gerard Poulet, Dong-Suk Kang, Pavel Vernikov, Enrico Onofri, Chiara Banchini, Giorgio Fava and Anton Martynov.
After completing her studies at the National Music Academy in Sofia, she moved to Italy in 2012. Considered by critics as an extremely expressive young violinist, Kremena currently performs concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in Italy, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Slovenia, Russia and Luxembourg working with world-renowned musicians.
She worked with artists such as Anton Martynov, Riccardo Minasi, Ivry Gitlis, Giorgio Fava, Anna Serova, Vittorio Ceccanti, Filippo Faes, Lyda-Chen Argerich, Walter Vestidello, Alberto Casadei, Mark Drobinsky, François Lazarevich, Andrei Malakhov, Chantal Stigliani, Mario Sollazzo, Georgi Dimitrov, Alexander Somov and many others.
Kremena’s solo discography includes 3 CDs. The first two recordings of the “Music for Two” series with Anton Martynov /NovAntiqua Records 2016, 2017/ made the front page of “Péché classique” magazine in 2016 and received the nomination for the International Classical Music Awards in 2017.
In 2018, she founded a new chamber orchestra, the Vivaldi Society, which made its debut at the Squadratori Hall of the Arsenal in Venice. In the same year was released their first CD with violin concertos “Violino d’AMore” /NovAntiqua Records 2018/.
”In this recording we find not only incredible technical soundness, but the domination of the instrument and the knowledge of what is to be faced in terms of interpretation. Here, is requested even a greater quality, the ability to enhance the works that stand on a delicate sound balance, built on a very thin relationship between soloist and orchestra. It is here that the young bulgarian violinist Kremena Oksenkrug, demonstrates her being an all-round musician, in which the virtuosity does not become a sterile demonstration of skill, but the source of a passionate, sensitive reading, full of the best baroque violin tradition.’’
ARTICLE by Andrea Bedetti ON MUSICVOICE.IT
Currently Kremena Oksenkrug is violin professor at the Royal Conservatory of Mons /Belgium/.
In 2022, she recieved the most prestigious bulgarian music award ”Crystal lyre”.
She is invited to festivals and concert seasons such as Rive Gauche Musique in Paris, Pietrasanta in Concerto, Concerts du samedi Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, Prieure de Chirens Festival, Pollença Festival in Mallorca, Malipiero Concerti, Nouvelle Philharmonie in Paris, Le Printemps du Violon in Paris, Giovani in Musica Ravenna, Amici del Teatro Treviso, Roana Musica, Grandezze e Meraviglie Modena, Ljubljana Festival, Musica divina in Belgium.
As a soloist she plays with many orchestras and chamber ensembles including Orchestra of Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow, Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca, Contrarco Baroque Ensemble, Orchestra Antonio Vivaldi of Venice, Soloists of the Menuhin Academy, Ensemble Alraune, Camerata de Paris and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien /as a principle violinist/.
Kremena Oksenkrug was an artistic director of the International Music Festival San Martino a Natale in Venice since its foundation in 2014, till 2020. Her repertoire includes early music performed with original baroque instruments, classical, romantic and contemporary music, as well as first performances of newly created compositions.
”…She is a unique artist, her musical humility is an incredible asset for her performance where the listener’s attention is being taken by the marvel…” Philippe Graffin
”…Kremena Oksenkrug is a brilliant violinist and extremely talented and original artist. I have chance to know her my former student and to observe her astounding growth that made of her my utmost precious colleague…” Anton Martynov
”…Kremena Oksenkrug is a very talented young violinist with sensitive and exuberant musicality. She has performed as a soloist in my ensemble, the Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca demonstrating exellent presence and great communicativity…” Giorgio Fava
”…Kremena Oksenkrug is a very talented violinist with a fine musical taste. Along with her excellent technique she has a deep understanding of different musical styles in combination with her noble tone…” Roman Kim
”… It’s not enough to say that Kremena is a ”talent”! Since she was a particularly gifted child, still very young she has succeeded in developing an exellent violin technique and assimilating the musical styles! Her phrasing in a natural and spontaneous way convinces the audience and elicits applauses!…” Lyudmila Ivanova