Program
Participants
Judges
Dr. Borislava Iltcheva is a celebrated violinist and educator, renowned for her exceptional talent and dedication to the art of music. Her journey began at the age of five, culminating in a robust academic foundation that includes a Bachelor’s degree from the Bulgarian National Academy, followed by a Master’s and Doctoral degrees in violin performance from Louisiana State University and a post-doctorate from Indiana University. Throughout her studies, Dr. Iltcheva was mentored by prominent musicians such as Alexander Iltchev, Evgenia Maria Popova, Kevork Mardirossian, and Mauricio Fuks.
Currently, Dr. Iltcheva holds the esteemed position of Concertmaster for the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and serves as the Around-the-World assistant to Professor Mauricio Fuks at Indiana University. In 2021, she joined the faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi as an Adjunct Faculty member, and in 2023, she was appointed Assistant Professor of Violin.
As a versatile performer, she has graced stages around the globe, collaborating with orchestras such as the Louisiana Sinfonietta, Baton Rouge Symphony, Acadiana Symphony, Thessalonica Camerata, and Chengdu Symphony Orchestra. An internationally sought-after teacher, Dr. Iltcheva frequently conducts masterclasses worldwide, inspiring the next generation of violinists. With masterclasses held in the United States, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Greece, and China, Dr. Iltcheva continues to make a significant impact on the global music community.
Pianist Cindy St. Clair has appeared throughout the United States and Europe as a soloist and collaborator, which includes performances in the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria and at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia. She has been a featured soloist with the Huxford Symphony Orchestra, the University of Alabama Symphonic Band, and the Samford University Orchestra. In demand as a collaborative pianist, Dr. St. Clair has a wealth of experience working with vocalists, ensembles, instrumentalists, choirs, and musical theatre groups. She is currently collaborating on several projects with Christopher Jordan, baritone, relating to music by black composers. They recently performed at the 25th Anniversary of the African American Art Song Alliance Conference at the University of California - Irvine and on the Atelier Concert Series at the American Church in Paris, France.
Dr. St. Clair continues to explore her research interests relating to the work of underserved composers and women pedagogues, and relating to mental practice, stamina, and memorization techniques. She has presented lectures at the local, state, and national level. Dr. St. Clair’s research presentation on the “Transference of Theodor Leschetizky’s Legacy to the United States” at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in July 2021, received an Honorable Mention award.
Dr. St. Clair holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and a Master of Music degree both in Piano Performance from the University of Alabama and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Samford University. Dr. St. Clair also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Paralegal Studies with a concentration in Business from Samford University. She worked 16 years in the legal field prior to pursuing her degrees in music during which time she spent many years serving on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Association of Paralegals, Inc., mentoring students, and presenting lectures at conferences.
Dr. St. Clair is the Area Coordinator of Keyboard Studies and Associate Professor of Piano at Samford University. She previously served as the Interim Chair of the Division of Music at Samford and as the Chair of the Department of Music and Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan for Judson College. In 2019, she received the Mary Gibson Thompson Teaching Award for Excellence at Judson. She has won several piano competitions in the region and is frequently invited to adjudicate piano competitions and give masterclasses.
Dr. St. Clair is the founding President of the World Piano Teachers Association USA-Alabama Chapter. She is a certified teacher in piano by the Music Teachers National Association and serves on the executive board of the Alabama Music Teachers Association. Dr. St. Clair is also the Immediate Past President on the executive board of the Birmingham Metro Music Forum.