Album DescriptionAbout This CD Piano Gems & Masterpieces is a compelling collection of the world's best-loved piano pieces and miniatures. Taking its inspiration from Robert Schumann's "Foreign Lands and People" (Scenes from Childhood), this recording covers 23 famous works from 17 composers in 10 different countries; capturing the essence of piano music and its evolution from Bach, Mozart and Beethoven through to Rachmaninov and Gershwin. Whether you are a classical connoisseur or simply a lover of inspiring piano music, Piano Gems & Masterpieces takes you on an enchanting journey through the beauty, romance and power that is the pianoforte. Recorded on a Steinway Grand Piano at the The Great Hall, Dartington, England. Sound engineer: Chris Chudley. Recording & Production: Coombeshead Studios. Cover design by Marcus Podichuk. ABOUT THE ARTIST Pavlina Radoslavova is a Russian-trained concert pianist from Bulgaria. Pavlina first started her musical career at the age of five, under the direction of her grandmother Theodora Delova. She was quickly noticed as a talented pianist and by the age of fourteen had already won 1st and 2nd prizes in international piano competitions. Pavlina entered the Bulgarian State Musical Academy in 1983, where she studied under the country's most prestigious piano professors: Vaskresia Vakhanov, Marina Kapatzinska and Julia & Constantin Ganevi. She joined the teaching staff of the Academy in 1988 and graduated with a master's degree in music in 1991. Pavlina has played with a numerous orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists all over the world. She has performed and given master classes in over 15 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. She relocated to the United Kingdom in 2002, where she is continuing her career as a concert pianist. Pavlina's recording Piano Gems & Masterpieces is dedicated to the memory of Pavlina's grandmother, Theodora Delova. A renowned professional pianist and cultural correspondent, Theodora was Pavlina's first piano teacher. She graduated from the Braunschweig Institute in Germany, and on her return to Bulgaria, spent the rest of her life promoting, developing and performing classical music through the most adverse of circumstances: World War II and the communist regime. In her lifetime, Theodora had an enormous impact on Bulgarian music and musical culture as a pianist, music critic and cultural correspondent. Thanks to Theodora, Pavlina was brought up in a rich world of classical music and today her musical spirit lives on through Pavlina