Elvira Nenova

Elvira Nenova is a viola specialist with a 1st prize at the Moscow International Chamber Music Competition (2017).

Born in Bulgaria, she moved to Russia at age three and began violin and piano lessons at five. She completed the pre-school program at the Moscow State Conservatory special school as a violinist, then studied violin and piano there. She later began viola lessons with Prof. E. Stoklickaya at the Gnessin College (from 2001), continuing as a violist and violinist at the Gnessin State Academy with Prof. V. Trushin (from 2006). During her studies, she also took a special conducting course with Prof. V. Lucenko (2003–2005) and was part of open classes for conductors with Prof. T. Mynbaev (2007–2008). In 2015, she obtained a second degree as a choral conductor, and from 2020 to 2023 she studied Baroque violin and viola at the Conservatorio di Rossini in Pesaro with Prof. Enrico Onofri.

Her career includes serving as Prima Viola at the Moscow State Opera (2006–2018), participating in master classes with M. Vengerov, M. Maisky, and E. Onofri, and performing across Europe in chamber and orchestral settings. Recent engagements span work with orchestras and festivals including the Festival der Nationen with Nigel Kennedy (September 2021) and performances under Maestro André de Ridder in the opening and premiere of Hänsel und Gretel (2023).

For USO’s crossover work, she brings depth from both her string and Baroque training, alongside extensive ensemble experience in opera, chamber performance, and choral-focused musicianship.