Maritsa Hristova

Maritsa Hristova’s creative journey started when she discovered the magnetism and magic of her country’s traditional folk songs. In her father’s village of Zvezdetz (Strandja region of Bulgaria), she experienced a performance of a Bulgarian folk song which affected her profoundly. She felt an intuitive connection to folk music when immersed in singing. With deep-felt dedication to this art form, she recognized singing and interpreting as her individual gift, and this interest became the basis of her artistic identity. As she began her musical journey as a folk singer and a string player (violin, viola), her curiosity for innovative performances drew her to composition. 

Today her work as a singer-songwriter, composer and a recording artist seeks to invite fresh new energy directed towards inner transformation. The intention of Maritsa’s songs is to artistically embody new perspectives of wisdom with the highest level of authenticity and purity of heart. Her musical path has taken her through exploring questions of belonging, clarity of mind, combining intelligence and love, and making a difference through individual authenticity. She is excited to present her newest songwriting productions, educate and ignite curiosity through her folk-inspired compositions and cultural programs.

Maritsa Hristova is 2011 Creativity Foundation Legacy Winner from Longy School of Music. She holds a Masters Degree in Viola Performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College where she was awarded the Presidential Scholarship. 

2011 – Legacy Winner, Longy School of Music

Bulgarian born violist and composer Maritsa Hristova is currently a first year Masters degree student in Viola Performance at Longy School of Music. She is a recipient of the Longy Presidential Scholarship, prior to which she won a full tuition scholarship at The Boston Conservatory.  

Maritsa’s strong desire to bring her country’s folklore music onto the concert stage started while she was studying at the Pancho Vladigerov National Music School, named after the well-known Bulgarian composer. Maritsa was the violist of the Pancho Vladigerov String Quintet, and she performed with the ensemble in every major Bulgarian hall and venue, including the capital’s NDK hall. The ensemble was the first classical string ensemble at a Bulgarian school to present its own arrangements and compositions based on Bulgarian folk music.  In 2003, the ensemble was awarded second place at the Hopes, Talents, Masters VII International Youth Music Festival-Competition in Albena, Bulgaria. 

Maritsa finds living in Boston very rewarding. She has performed numerous concerts with Jazz, Latin, Indian, Rock and Pop music artists in venues such as Berklee Performance Center and The House of Blues, to name just a few.  Maritsa most recently collaborated with the Aditya Balani Group for their first album, and the song titled “Quicksand” won Jazz Revelation Label Competition at Berklee College of Music. 

For the past four years Maritsa has enjoyed working with internationally- known classical and Baroque musicians including Burton Kaplan, Dimitri Murrath and Dana Maiben; jazz faculty Mimi Rabson at Berklee College of Music and the exceptional faculty of summer festivals such as Apple Hill Music Festival and Bowdoin International Music Festival.

Maritsa believes that the social responsibility of the 21st century musician is to seek to educate and use one’s musical gift for uplifting purposes. This belief in the power of music is the idea behind the newly formed duo Vortex, which Maritsa formed with cellist Elena Korableva.  Apart from composing for the duo, Maritsa enjoys long walks, all books, and Bulgarian cuisine, especially meals featuring tomatoes and feta cheese.