VBF 2025

EKATERINA TANGAROVA – PIANO

A native of Sofia, Bulgaria, Ekaterina Tangarova started playing the piano at the age of five with her mother who was her first teacher. She later graduated from the Music High School for gifted students “Liubomir Pipkov”, where she studied with Mrs. Mariana Shikova. Mrs. Tangarova earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the National Academy of Music “Pancho Vladigerov” in Sofia, Bulgaria, under the direction of Prof. Anton Dikov, one of the most extraordinary pianists in the European pianist tradition. Mrs.Tangarova has worked at the National School for Dance Art in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Superior School of Music and Dance in Monterrey, the Liceo de Monterrey, and The University of Monterrey, Mexico. During the period 2006 - 2011 Ekaterina Tangarova was a frequent guest artist and regular collaborator with faculty and students at the Buttler School of Music - University of Texas at Austin.
During her 25 years of her professional career, Mrs.Tangarova established a national and international reputation of a highly acclaimed pianist. Her recent appearances include chamber music recitals at the International Clarinet Association Clarinet Fest 2019 & 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee and Ostende, Belgium, the first edition of The Unbeaten Path International Chamber Music Festival in Kovachevitca, and Balabanov’s House Music Days International Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
An active collaborative artist, Mrs. Tangarova has performed with wide range of international musicians including Petko Radev, Stanley Drucker, Vanguel Tangarov, Philippe Cuper, Richard MacDowell, David Gould, Andre Moisan, Boris Allskhverdyan, Stoyka Milanova, Adah Toland Jones, Sarah Watts, Andrew Marriner, Paolo Beltramini to name a few. Ekaterina Tangarova has performed at important venues worldwide such as New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Bulgarian Embassy in Washington DC, Bulgarian Consulate in New York, Bienen School of Music, University of Florida, Gainesville, Teatro de la Ciudad de Monterrey, Mexico and Bulgaria Concert Hall.
Mrs. Tangarova was the First and Grand Prize Winner of the National Piano Duet Competition in Bulgaria in 1991. She holds a Diploma and Fourth prize award of the “Liszt-Bartok” Piano Competition, which was founded by the Hungarian International Cultural Institute in Sofia, Bulgaria, 1991. In 1996, Ekaterina was awarded a 2nd Prize (no first awarded) at the Pancho Vladigerov International Competition for Pianists and Violinists in Shoumen, Bulgaria. She also appeared as a soloist in 1995-1996 with the Philharmonic Orchestras of Rousse and Varna in Bulgaria. In 1997, she won the Concerto Competition and performed with the Symphony Orchestra of the National Academy of Music “Pancho Vladiguerov” Sofia, Bulgaria.
Ekaterina Tangarova currently resides in Austin, TX with her family. She enjoys an active teaching career and is a founder of a vibrant and diverse private Piano Studio.
Since 2005, Mrs. Tangarova has been the pianist at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Austin. She is also a frequent guest artist and collaborative pianist, and performs on a regular basis with a wide range of faculty and students from the Texas State University School of Music.  
Since 2016, Mrs. Tangarova has held an appointment as a resident pianist for the International Clarinet Association.