Concert by Sofija Nikoska on Violin & Hristina Nikoska on Piano

Sofija Nikoska was born in Prilep, Macedonia in 1991, where she began her musical education in the primary school working with prof. Vesna Stankoska and prof. Vancho Stoilkov. Later she continued her musical training at the school of music “Ilija Nikolovski-Luj” in Skopje. She entered the Faculty of Music in Skopje at the age of 15, becoming the youngest student in the Faculty ever, and in 2010 graduated with the highest grade “Cum Laude” in the class of prof. Oleg Kondatenko, where she also finished her master studies in 2013.

From 2011-2017, she was a student of prof. Zakhar Bron at the “Queen Sofia College of Music” in Madrid, reciving full scholarship from the “Albeniz Fondation”.

Sofija Nikoska has participated in numerous masterclasses and seminars working with: Zakhar Bron, Yuri Voulgin, Vadim Gluzman, Gerard Poulet, Eduard Grach, Alexander Bonduriansky, Ferenc Rados, Blagoja Dimceski, Isabela Sergeevna Golovina, Petar Sheppard, Bartosz Bryla, Valentin Erben, Ivo Mirkovic.

She has won first prizes in the international violin competitions as: “Cornelia Bronzetti” – Campina, Romania 2000; “Etude and Scale” – Zagreb, Croatia 2002; “Ohrid Pearls” – Ohrid, Macedonia 2006 and 2008 – when she won the Grand Prix of the competition; “Mozartiana-M”-Skopje, Macedonia 2006 – when she won the Grand Prix of the competition. She won second prize  in “Violines Por La Paz” – Malaga, Spain 2015; she won third prize in “Musicians of the New Millenium”- Skopje, Macedonia and “Nadjalka Simeonova”- Haskovo, Bulgaria 2006. She won first prizes in the “National Violin Competition” in Skopje in 2001 and 2004, and in 2008 won the first prize in the “National Competition for Chamber Music”, together with the pianist Hristina Nikoska. In 2018 duo “Nikoski” won the first prize in the international chamber music competition “Svirel” – Nova Gorica, Slovenia.

During her musical career, Sofija has given numerous concerts, recitals in Macedonia, Germany and Spain, and has performed as a soloist with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Macedonian Youth Chamber Orchestra, the AGBU Sofia Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of the Faculty of Music in Skopje. In june and december of 2007 she played with the eminent macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski, as a guest on his “Concert Marathon” in Skopje and Prilep.

Sofija was part of the Macedonian Youth Chamber Orchestra for many years, with whom played as a solist in the “Ohrid Summer Festival”. And in 2010 as a Grand Prix winner of an “EMCY” competition, played in the opening of the international violin competition “Petar Konjovic”- Belgrade, Serbia. The same year participated in a tour with the “Young Euro Classic Orchestra”. In 2011, as a Grand Prix winner, was on the tour “The Stars of Tomorrow” by the “EMCY” organization, giving concerts in Starnberg, Bad Ischl, Eggenfelden, Passau and Seefeld. 

As a student at the “Queen Sofia School of Music” Sofija Nikoska was a member of the piano quintet “Arriaga”, under the mentorship of prof. Marta Gulyas. And later on, from 2013-2015, she was a member of the “Mendelssohn BP” quartet; in 2016-2017 was part of the “Duo Prokofiev”  under the mentorship of prof. Heime Muller. As a part of these chamber groups, she had many concerts in Madrid, Malaga, Bilbao, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ibiza, El Escorial. 

From 2018 Sofija Nikoska is teaching in the Faculty of Music in Shtip, Macedonia.

The pianist Hristina Nikoska was born in 1989 in Prilep, Macedonia, where she began her musical education at the music school in the class of prof. Violeta Kocoska. During her musical education she attended classes with more prominent piano teachers, among which: prof. Meri Kavkalevska – Stoilkova, prof. Nadezda Pejsahova and prof. Gligor Gelebesev. She studied secondary music education in Skopje, in the class of prof. Ljudmila Romanova, and she graduated on the Faculty of Music in Skopje in the class of prof. Marija Gosevska.

Nikoska participates in many national and international piano competitions, of which stand out significant awards: first prize at the national piano competition in Skopje in 2010; first prize at the national competiton of chamber music in Skopje in 2008; second prize at the national piano competiton in Skopje in 2006; third prize at the international competiton  Mocartijana M in Skopje in 2006; second and third prize at the competition of polyphonic music at FMU-Skopje; first prize at the international chamber music competition “Svirel” in Nova Gorica, Slovenia.

Beside these awards, Hristina Nikoska made many recitals, concerts and also solo performances as a soloist with the Macedonian Philharmonc Orchestra. She also plays the harpsichord and marked couple appearances as a soloist, with the chamber orchestra “ Soloists of FMU”. With her performaces she participated in number of festivals, among which: Golden Lyre, Prilep Summer Festival, Skopje Summer Festival, Bitola Cultural Summer, Days of Macedonian Music, Autumn Music Festival, Autumn Music Festival Gevgelija, Musica Viva and others. At 2016, she had her concert debut in China, where beside the concert activities, she held a masterclass in the city of Weifang. Besides here solo performances, she often performes in chamer ensembles, but is most known for being a part of the duo with her sister – the violinist Sofija Nikoska.

Hristina participate in several seminars with reputable educators as prof. Boris Romanov, prof. Antonio Soria, from the Musical Conservatorium in Barcelona, Spain, prof. Yuri Kot from Kiev, Ukraine, and at the seminar within the intensive master classes in Novi Sad , Serbia ,with prof. Miroslav Krasovski from Tel Aviv, Israel. She also participated in the European Summer Music Academy in Kosovo, where she worked with Lejla Pula (Kosovo) and Jaromir Klepac (Czech Republic). 

Hristina Nikoska is very well known for her pedagogical work, and in her teaching experience has won over 35 awards on national and international piano competitions with her students. From 2012, she works as a professor of piano and piano accompaniment at the OOUM Ordan Mihajloski – Oska in Prilep.