Ljubka Biagioni, the 2002 winner of the European Union's Franco Capuana International Competition for Conductors, was born into the family of an Italian politician in...

Ljubka Biagioni, the 2002 winner of the European Union's Franco Capuana International Competition for Conductors, was born into the family of an Italian politician in Rome. After receiving a classical education at a grammar school and intensive piano tuition, she won a scholarship to study music theory at the National Academy of Music in Sofia, where she graduated with distinction as a choral and orchestral conductor. After graduating, she undertook further studies with Karl �sterreicher in Varna, Bulgaria, Norbert Balatsch and Leonard Bernstein at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome and Ferdinand Leitner and Valery Gergiev at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. In 1997, her career significantly benefited from working with Ilya Musin and Valery Gergiev in Rotterdam. She has been principal conductor of Sofia Symphonics since 2013. Her status as one of Sofia's great musical figures is confirmed by the nigh on euphoric reactions to the most recent performance of her Traviata at the National Palace of Culture.