NEW YORK EMPIRE TRIO 

The New York Empire Trio was founded by three experienced chamber musicians and soloists. The trio members have performed in major cities in the United States and abroad. Their repertoire ranges from the early classics to the music of today performing works from the standard chamber music literature and little known masterworks with great success. 

After making their highly acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut the trio was chosen to be Featured Artists of the Month at the Obama for Arts and Entertainment Organization.  Music critic Dennis Rooney writes in The STRAD Magazine: “Unlike the rather generic treatment that this work (Dvorák – Dumky Trio) often receives, this performance underscored the disjunctive elements of dumka’s unique form, highlighting the individual character of each succeeding section.”  The trio’s performances are also well-regarded at the New York Concert Review where Dr. Rorianne Schrade writes: “... the musicians exuded intensity, with bracing tempo and spirit. The performance was again impassioned and unified, with each instrument shining individually. … It was performed with gusto. … played with vigor … finished the concert on a high”.

Prior to their formation, the members of the trio were active soloists and chamber musicians performing in major music centers such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center - New York, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Phillips Collection and John F. Kennedy Center - Washington DC, Rudolfinum - Dvorak Hall - Prague, Bulgaria Hall – Sofia, etc. They have performed in numerous festivals and concert series in the United States and Europe and have premiered countless new works.

The New York Empire Trio is recognized for their innovative educational programs.  They have given chamber music master classes at universities other schools around the country on regular basis.  They have led residencies at Western Reserve Academy in Ohio and Brooklyn College in New York. Over the years they have developed a specialization on Eastern European composers in addition to the standard classical repertoire. They have worked closely with Bulgarian composer Roumi Petrova who composed Fanfare for Obama, which they performed at Weill Recital hall at Carnegie Hall in honor of the newly elected President Barack Obama. Their unique repertoire allows them much variety in presenting music to many different types of audiences.

The Trio members Entcho Todorov – violin, Kalin Ivanov – cello, Margrit Zimmermann - piano are winners of many distinguished awards and have had prominent careers in their field. Entcho Todorov, violinist, is an accomplished classical musician winner of Svetoslav Obretenov National Competition, Bulgaria and Kotzian International Competition in Czechoslovakia. He has played on stage with rock singer Sheryl Crow, soul legends Hall & Oates, Mary J. Blige, Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, Rod Steward, Josh Groban, among others. Kalin Ivanov, cellist, is a prominent soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and recording artist. Compared by the press to Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Piatigorsky and Jacqueline du Pré he has performed in major centers in Europe and United States with: “dramatic urgency and expressive tone” (The STRAD). Margrit Zimmermann, pianist was a winner of the Brahms Piano Competition, Austria and Roma Piano Competition, Italy. Her recordings for ASV and BIS labels in England and Sweden were highly praised in the Gramophone magazine (UK),”Das Orchester”  magazine(Germany) and Penn Sounds (USA) for a “deep musical sense and technical perfection”.

Future plans of NY Empire Trio include tours in Europe, South America, and the United States as well as releasing a new CD. For more information on upcoming performances visit: www.NYEmpireTrio.com


  New York Empire Trio - individual bios  

Entcho Todorov, violinist, is an accomplished classical musician, playing everything from Brahms to Broadway and touring with rock singer Sheryl Crow, and soul legends Hall & Oates. Todorov has played on stage with Mary J. Blige, Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, Rod Steward, Josh Groban, among others. Todorov is the solo violinist and violist for the blockbuster Broadway show “Book of Mormon,” which won 9 Tony awards in 2011.
 
Previously, he was a solo violinist for the “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” (2010), a Broadway show adapted from the Pedro Almodovar movie of the same name. Todorov was a violinist at the Tony-award winning Broadway shows “Shrek: The Musical” (2009) and “Legally Blonde: The Musical” (2007-2008). He and the consummate solo violin in the Broadway show “Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life” during the 2005-2006 season. He was offered the position after successful performances as a violinist in the Broadway’s classic “Fiddler on the Roof” and as an understudy for the part of the fiddler during the musical’s 2004-2005 run with Harvey Fierstein and Rosie O’Donnell. Todorov’s career on Broadway began in 2004 when he played solo violin for the show “The Immigrant: A New American Musical.” He also recorded The Immigrant’s soundtrack a year later.
 
Todorov was a featured solo violinist in the soundtrack for the Oscar-winning movie “Precious” (2009). In 2005, he was the concertmaster for the soundtrack of “Everything Is Illuminated,” a critically acclaimed independent movie featuring Elijah Wood and directed by Liev Schreiber. Entcho also led the orchestra for the recording of other award winning independent films – “Shadowboxer” (2005) and “Black-eyed Susan” (2004.) He was also the featured violinist on the debut album for the Grammy-award winner Esperanza Splading. He has recorded for Kelly Clarkson, Joan Osborne, Evanescence among others, and for “Naturally” and “100 Days, 100 Nights” by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and on “Who is This America?” by Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra.
 
He studied at Manhattan School of Music, New York, on a full scholarship with Ariana Bronne. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Violin Performance in 2000. Entcho has been in-demand performer on many U.S. classical music orchestras – Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Haddenfield Symphony, and Key West Symphony Orchestra among others. Entcho came to the U.S. from his native Bulgaria in 1997 and initially attended The University of Central Arkansas. He spent a year there playing with regional orchestras before moving to New York.
 
In Bulgaria, Entcho’s career as a classical performer started at a tender age. The prodigious violinist practiced rigorously under the guidance of his father, Toshko Todorov, also a violinist. At ten, Entcho played solo concerts with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shumen Symphony Orchestra. At eleven, he won first prize at the Svetoslav Obretenov National Competition for classical music performance. At twelve, he was second at the Kotzian International Violin Competition in Czechoslovakia and received a special award for exceptional performance of Czech composition. Entcho was accepted at the Sofia Music Academy, Bulgaria, in 1992. During his studies at the academy, he was the principal at the New Symphony Orchestra of Sofia and Sofia Academy of Music Orchestra. He also toured Europe with the New Bulgarian Opera Orchestra from 1994 to 1996.
 
Entcho had aspired to master Balkan folk music but it was not until he collaborated with the legend of Eastern European folk music, Ivan Milev, in early 2002, when he devoted his playing to the genre. Their success as a duo led to the creation of Ivan Milev Band. In 2006, the band recorded its debut album, The Flight of Krali Marco. As a duo and a full band, Ivan Milev and Entcho Todorov have played at numerous world music festivals throughout the U.S. and have been the opening act for Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings.
 
Kalin Ivanov, cellist, is a prominent soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and recording artist. Compared by the press to Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Piatigorsky and Jacqueline du Pré he is quickly gaining recognition as an artist whose “dramatic urgency and expressive tone” (The STRAD, New York) is matched by “His deep, emotional, and poetic performing style” (Moscow North). The former music critic of the New York Times, Harris Goldsmith states that”…Ivanov presents himself as a player with a fine grained, luscious tone…” (New York Concert Review). The WORLD PANORAMA (Bulgaria) wrote: “…Kalin Ivanov is a phenomenon in the palette of the most talented musicians” and Musical Opinion (UK) confirmed: “one of the most celebrated cellists of his generation.” A native of Bulgaria he began studying cello at age of six with his father. Mr. Ivanov holds BM and MM degrees from Academy of Music and Dance Arts, Bulgaria, State Academy of Music, Bulgaria and Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, CUNY where he studied cello with Marion Feldman. He has studied and participated in master classes given by distinguished cellists such as: David Soyer, Nathaniel Rosen, Steven Doane, Laurence Lesser, Andre Emelianoff, Anatoli Krastev and others. In 1999 Mr. Ivanov won the C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival Concerto Competition. Ivanov’s young career of charismatic performances led him from the concert halls of Bulgaria to Greece, Austria, Switzerland, France, England, Italy, Russia, Czech Republic, Caribbean Islands, and of course the United States, including recent appearances as soloist with Prague Sinfonietta, Sofia Philharmonic, Varna Philharmonic, Sliven Symphony, Sinfonietta - Sofia, North Shore Symphony, Plovdiv Philharmonic, Bulgarian Virtuosi Orchestra, Pazardjik Symphony, Moscow Chamber Orchestra “Cantus Firmus”, Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, Academy Chamber Orchestra, Manhattan Virtuosi Orchestra, and Ensemble Du Monde Orchestra, among others. His recordings include broadcasts for WNYC radio, New York, WWFM CLASSICAL Radio, NJ, Voice of America, Voice of Russia, Radio Free Europe, WNYE Radio, New York, WSTA Radio, WVWI AM 1000, CUNY TV, WNYE TV, NTD-TV, New York, Eurocom TV, Bulgarian National Radio and TV. Mr. Ivanov is the subject of one-hour film biography by Bulgarian National TV, broadcast in Bulgaria and internationally and was the featured performer in an Emmy Award-nominated short film “Study with the Best” by CUNY TV. In July 2007 Mr. Ivanov recorded music to the Motion Picture Film: “LUST, CAUTION” (Oscar-winning Director Ang Lee). He has recorded three CDs. The latest one was released on MSR Classics.
 

In the spring of 2003 Mr. Ivanov, along with Natalia Gutman, Alexander Kniazev, Boris Pergamenstikov, Peter Bruns, Tomas Stral, and recent winners of the Tchaikovsky competition, was selected to perform in the International Music Festival in commemoration of Daniel Shafran, sponsored by Moscow State Philharmony and the State Institute of Arts. The Music Life magazine, Moscow called him: “…recognized master of the cello.”

Mr. Ivanov teaches cello and chamber music at the Adelphi University, Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, CUNY and Brooklyn College Preparatory Center for the Performing Arts. During the last few years he performed and gave master classes at the London Festival of Bulgarian Culture, UK, Festival of the Gulf, ITALY, Spring Music Academy, BULGARIA, International Music Festival, St. Petersburg, RUSSIA, Portland Conservatory International Music Festival (ME), Rondo Music Festival (VT), Long Island Conservatory International Music Festival, (NY), Youngstown University, (OH) and others. He has also taught at Long Island Conservatory, Empire State University, SUNY, Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music Summer Music Camp, Manchester Music Festival and others. He led cello and chamber music master classes and was a judge of international competitions in the US and Europe. Mr. Ivanov is a founding member of The Forte String Quartet, New York Empire Trio and Ivanov-Antimova Duo. He is a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award and Cultural Achievement Award for teaching and performing in the U.S., as well as a career development grant by the Artist Fund of the New York Foundation for the Arts. Mr. Ivanov is presented by BV Artists International www.BVArtistsInternational.com and PriceRubin & Partners, www.pricerubin.com. More info: www.KalinIvanov.com

 
Margrit Zimmermann, pianistis an artist with uncommon poetic talent. Her special contact with the piano, her fine, gentle touch represents the best traditions of European and Russia piano schools. She completed her studies at the world renowned Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow with Dmitri Bashkirov, with master courses from Lev Naumov, Vera Gornostaeva, Vadim Sukhanov. Her subsequent recitals were frequently televised throughout Russia, Lithuania, and Germany, and also performed in England, Austria, the U.S., and Switzerland. Ms. Zimmermann was a prizewinner in the 1996 International Johannes Brahms Piano Competition in Austria and the Roma International Piano Competition 1997 in Italy. Her recordings in major labelssuch as ASV and BIS in England and Sweden were highly praised in the Gramophone magazine (England),”Das Orchester”  magazine(Germany) and Penn Sounds (USA) for a “deep musical sense and technical perfection”. Since 1992 she has lived in Kassel, Germany, where she received the Arts Prize of the city council, and is an Artist-in-Residence at the Nyack College, Manhattan campus. "Absorbed by the music, M. J. Zimmermann, created a deeply unforgettable experience. The magic of this evening was build up not only with the fascination of virtuosity. It was the fascination of artistic personality, which manifested through her appearances, her playing, and her musicality" Nordhessen Kultursommer More info: www.margritzimmermann.com