Described as “Virtuoso-violinist extraordinaire” (Musical Horizons), Hristo Popov, brings tremendous experience to the concert stage. He made his orchestra debut at the age of nine with Plovdiv State Philharmonic Orchestra and since then has performed at major performing arts venues as recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist in United States and Europe including Carnegie Hall – New York and Dvorak Hall at the Rudolfium in Prague. His Carnegie Hall debut has been hailed by The Strad Magazine as “…alert and energetic”. Hristo Popov is a prizewinner at the Kozian International Violin Competition, Silver Medalist at the California Young Artist Competition, winner of the Grand Prize at the International Institute of Music (Germany, USA), first place at the American String Teachers' Association Chamber Music Competition. He has been selected as Artist of the Month at the Obama for Arts and Entertainment Organization in April of 2009. He has appeared as guest artist in numerous festivals such as Park City International Music Festival, Plovdiv International Chamber Music Festival, Sofia Musical Weeks Music Festival, Summit Music Festival in New York, Interharmony International Music Festival, among others. Dr. Popov is a fierce advocate for the arts in several communities in Ohio. He serves as Artistic Director of the Chagrin Valley Chamber Music Concert Series, which presents five Master Series per year and the popular summer program International Festival for Strings & More. Formerly, he was the Music Director of The Euclid Orchestra and has been on the faculty at Kent State University and Youngstown State University. Currently, he serves as Concertmaster of Opera Circle – Cleveland Warren Philharmonic, Opera from Western Reserve, and is member of the New Amici Trio – Ensemble in Residence at Youngstown State University for over 30 years. Hristo Popov performs music from the standard repertoire as well as significant works of the contemporary genre. American composer Thomas Janson has recently composed a number of works specifically for him. Dr. Popov performs over twenty violin concerti and he maintains a wide variety of recital programs. His performances have been documented on TV and radio stations in United States, Mexico, and Bulgaria and has recorded albums for TC Recordings and Bravante Records. He continues to receive rave reviews - as described recently by The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, “…the performance benefited from the elegant purity soloist Hristo Popov invested in every phrase. Popov traced the lyrical and vibrant lines (Mozart – Violin Concerto No. 5, Turkish) with unruffled assurance. He enabled the music to float where necessary and made easy work of the acrobatic demands.”