Marta Simidtchieva

Bulgarian-born cellist Marta Simidtchieva is an accomplished string educator, a passionate performer with uncompromising artistic integrity, and an important advocate for the music of her native country and the music of historically underrepresented composers. Classical Voice of North Carolina describes her as a musician “with superb intonation while spinning seamless melodic lines. Her lower range is rich while her highest notes and tricky harmonics are pure.” Her award-winning album of 20th-century works for cello by Bulgarian composers titled “Bulgarian Sketches” was released in 2018; the new collection of chamber works by Bulgarian composers titled “Irminden” was released in November 2022. A versatile musician, Simidtchieva has performed with vocalist Bobby McFerrin, the Eppes String Quartet under the guidance of Ellen Zwillich, Illinois Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Tallahassee Symphony, and the New Symphony Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is also a regular performer with the Chamber Project of Saint Louis, presenting innovative concerts of contemporary programming, and a guest performer with Saint Louis Chamber Soloists. Marta is the Professor of Cello at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she teaches cello, chamber music, string methods, and courses in general music. Marta completed her undergraduate studies at the Bulgarian State Academy of Music in Sofia before emigrating to the United States for graduate study at Florida State University.