'Va i Ve'

'Va i Ve'
pronounced 'Va  ee  Veh' (‘i’ is pronounced as 'ee' in Bulgarian/Russian and means 'and'!)

– and comes from the first 2 letters of each of their names.
Valentina Seferinova and Venera Bojkova

 

Va i Ve - The lives of Valentina Seferinova and Venera Bojkova have been entwined for quite some time; in fact since they were children.  Both are piano performance and theory graduates of the same National Academy of Music, Sofia; both studied with Bulgaria’s foremost piano professor, Dr. Professor Lubomir Dinolov.
Their careers as soloists and Chamber Music performers developed early, and as a piano duet their first performances together were as students.  The programmes often comprised their Professor’s successful transcriptions of popular works.
Fate has continued to entwine their lives by decreeing that both, quite independently, should now be settled in the UK.
Both still follow separate solo careers, but you can imagine the sheer fun for them both to also perform as a duet again.
In the autumn of 1999 they made their first tour in UK as a duet.  Their programme included Slavic music by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Dvořák and was presented in Portsmouth, Bognor Regis, London, and Durham.
During 2000 they were together again on tour - featuring a programme of British, Bulgarian, and Russian composers - a main stay of their repertoire.  They also attended Master Classes with Prof. Bernard Roberts at H.I.S.S., UK.
In December 2001 they appeared at the National Palace of Culture, Sofia in front of their life time mentor, Prof. Dr. Lubomir Dinolov and other peers; their programme of Rachmaninov (Suite for Two Pianos Opus 17), Benjamin Britten (Opus 23 Nos. 1 and 2 - Introduction and Rondo alla Burlesca, and Mazurka Elegiaca), Ferencz Liszt (Variations on a Theme of Paganini - arranged by Dinolov), and a short piece by Pancho Vladigerov (Horo Staccato) was received with acclaim. 
A subsequent studio recording of this programme is now available on CD (see 'CD Recordings'  and 'CD Reviews' pages of this web site).

In September 2009 they were invited to perform an open recital for the International Rachmaninoff Society's A.G.M. in Manchester, U.K.
More recently they have performed a full evening’s concert at the Regis Recital Hall; and also appeared at Newcastle University (Dec. 2010).

Repertoire

Listed alphabetically by composer
Click on icon to see & hear

Britten, Benjamin (1913 – 1976)
Introduction and Rondo alla Burlesca, op. 23 No 1

Brown, Duncan
Monsieur Ibert's Sunday Constitutional

Liszt, Ferencz (arr. Dinolov)
Variations on a Theme of Paganini

Piazzolla, Ástor (1921-1992)
Jacinto Chiclana (Milonga)
Triunfal

Rachmaninov, Sergei (1873 – 1943)
Prelude in C # minor 
Suite No 2, op. 17

Shostakovich, Dmitri (1906 – 1975)
Concertino, op. 94

Vladigueroff, Pantcho (1899-1978)
Pessen (Song/Chant), op. 21 No 2  
Hora staccato, sans opus, 1943 (Whoops!)
Mar Dimitro lyo, op. 23 No 2

Photos
Valentina & Venera as 'Va i Ve'
▲ 'Va i Ve' after a Steinway piano company sponsored recital. ▼
Valentina & Venera as 'Va i Ve'
Venera Bojkova - Short Biography

Venera Bojkova
Piano

Venera Bojkova

Venera Bojkova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria.  She graduated from the State Conservatoire of Music, Sofia in 1991 and was invited to lecture there.  After a spell working as a pianist for The Arts Council of Bophuthatswana in South Africa she moved to live in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK.
Venera is an accomplished recitalist, performing not only in UK, but also on the international circuit, undertaking tours of Germany, Russia, France and South Africa.
As an accompanist, Venera has toured with singers from the Metropolitan Opera New York, and was invited to accompany the 1997 Cardiff Singer of the World, Guan Yang on a tour of the United Kingdom. 
Since 2001 Venera has performed regularly with the Broadwood quintet. They released a CD with Mozart and Beethoven Piano and Wind Quintets.  She also runs a popular series of monthly piano Master classes for advanced pianists in the Caedmon Hall, Gateshead, and plays solo recitals for Sunderland, Darlington and other societies throughout the North East as well as concerto performances with Durham Sinfonia.
Additionally Venera is conductor of the Bishop Auckland Choral Society in County Durham.

email Venera Bojkova