Sibella Zeynelova

Sibel Zeynelova is a pianist with more than 10 years of a teaching experience - graduated with BMus in Classical Piano Performance and LRAM (Professional Teaching Specialisation) at the Royal Academy of Music in London, she is a prizewinner of over fifty-five awards from international competitions around the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, Austria, France, Russia, Turkey and Bulgaria. She’s been an active participant in solo/chamber music recitals, orchestral performances and master classesgiven by worldwide established musicians and was invited to perform exclusively in “Musical Treasures from Bulgaria” concert held at Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York. Teaching is the most fascinating part of her musical journey so far – she values individual approach combining serious work with laughter and ease, hence her students are gaining highest results in all the different exam systems/grade classifications and have won numerous contests so far. Sibel is a member of the European Piano Teaching Association and Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain.

          Teaching is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating and valuable experiences in my life as a musician, as it ensures how much I could learn from students’ development and interests in different stages of their musical journey. Apart from the huge fulfilment, there is a great responsibility the teachers’ role goes with – for that reason, I try making sure each pupil has met its own expectations, being left with positive feelings and satisfying outcome of learning the subject together. Observing scholars’ progress and assisting to enlarge their personal skills has always brought me an irreplaceable pleasure – I like combining serious and professional work with laughter and ease, often challenging my students with different tasks (so that they could achieve a constant improvement), but at the same time I take care of keeping my classes in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

         During the years I’ve been teaching up until present, I’ve been training students for different concerts, competitions, exams and grade classifications (such as the ones created by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and Trinity College London), gaining the highest results as Distinction and Merit in all the levels involved. Moreover, I’ve been helping pupils completing successfully several youth award programmes, the most recent one being the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) established for gifted scholars in United Kingdom. In addition, I’ve been creating diverse theoretical and practical activities (both individually and for a group of learners) which boost the fingers’ behaviour, posture, general technique and phrasing (instrumentally); solfège, harmony, ear training and sight-reading (theoretically), together with other musical features. I’ve been keeping a log of each student’s progression on a weekly basis and preparing official end of term reports, consisting of what we’ve learnt and improved; the strengths and achievements obtained during our last term; highlights and focus on what we could accomplish better going forward along with the upcoming technical challenges (e.g. concerts and exam performances) for the following term. 

          Throughout the 10 continuous years of my teaching experience, I have been enjoying working with students on one-to-one basis, as well as in classroom settings demanding larger number of individuals to be taught at once. My students’ age range has varied from 3 years old up until 75 years old (the most active ones being between 5 to 50 years old inclusively), and I'm definitely willing to teach pupils at all levels - from beginners to advanced, considering personal approach and taking into account everyone’s desired way of learning – intensively, professionally or just for general knowledge and music appreciation. My sincere aim is to keep inspiring today’s generation of young and mature musicians, improving their comprehension in the fields and most importantly, to share the love of music-making together.

          Born on 22nd of Februry, 1995 in Kazanlak, Bulgaria, Sibel Zeynelova began playing the piano at the age of seven in the studio of Elena Yulianova at "Ekzarh Antim I"’s Special Music Syllabus and School of Arts "Emanuil Manolov.” From 2012, she has been a student at Sofia’s National School of Music, having the exceptional opportunity to be in the class of Professor Dr. Iliya Tchernaev (Chair of the Piano Department at National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”) which she graduates with Excellence in 2014, receiving Diploma for Secondary Education and Certificate for Professional Qualification.
          In 2014, Sibel was invited to study at Mannes College The New School For Music in New York, United States as a recipient of the Provost Merit Scholarship Award and Schoenberg Pianist Stipend, proceeding her education under the guidance of Prof. Pavlina Dokovska (Chair of the Piano Department) and Vladimir Valjarevic. During 2016, she has transferred to the Royal Academy of Music in London, United Kingdom, where she took her Bachelor of Music in Classical Piano Performance with Honours (2018) as a scholarship student of Prof. Colin Stone. Sibel has completed a Professional Teaching Specialisation Programme known as LRAM (Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music) in 2020, which has enriched her pedagogical and educational knowledge of the instrument on a world-class level.

          Sibel’s teaching experience has commenced from 2013 at “MODO” School of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria where she gave Piano, Music Theory and Music History classes. In the period of 2014-2016, she continued giving piano lessons through “The Piano School of NYC” in New York, United States and taught students on a private basis inclusively. Since 2016, she is running her own piano class in London, United Kingdom, where she has been collaborating with various music schools such as Fireworks Music School, Crescendo School of Music and Art, London School of Music and SWS Music School. Sibel has been training scholars for concerts, competitions, exams and grade classifications (e. g. the ones founded by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and Trinity College London), achieving highest results as Distinction and Merit in both theory and performance. As from September 2019, she was invited to teach music to advanced adult learners for a private programmer’s company situated at Leadenhall Building (part of City of London’s busiest Business District, the Square Mile). In the autumn of 2020, Sibel has been offered a piano teaching position at the Swiss International Music School, where she has been working with a number of pupils residing in the cantons of Zurich and Zug in person and remotely, preparing them for local examinations. Besides giving one-to-one lessons, Sibel has been conducting online classes successfully, meeting students from diverse nationalities based in different parts of Bulgaria, United Kingdom, United States, Singapore and Switzerland.

          Sibel gave her first solo recital at the age of nine. Her debut with orchestra was two years later with the Sliven Philharmonic under the baton of Dimitar Karaminkov, followed by few more reengagements with the same orchestra. She has been participating in concerts, solo recitals, master classes and competitions around United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Austria, France, Russia, Turkey, Macedonia and her native Bulgaria. In May 2016, she was invited to perform at a special concert called “Musical Treasures from Bulgaria”, which took place at Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall. While studying in New York, Sibel performed on events organised by Mannes Sounds Festival, as well as at the Czech Republic, Turkish and Bulgarian Consulates General. After moving to London, she participated regularly on master classes and concerts arranged by the Royal Academy of Music, including appearances at Duke’s Hall, Angela Burges Recital Hall and Henry Wood Room. She also gave solo-recitals and concerts with orchestra during major festivals in Bulgaria like Tchudomirovi Praznitsi, performances at the Great Hall of the National Academy of Music and “Bulgaria Hall” in Sofia.
          As a soloist and chamber musician, Sibel is a prizewinner of over fifty-five awards from international competitions held in Bulgaria and abroad, covering three “Grand Prix”; three Special Prizes along with the “Special Award of the Union of Bulgarian Composers”; twenty-two First Prizes, etc. She is a laureate of the International Piano Competition “Anton Rubinstein” in Paris, France; International Slavic Music Competition in Moscow, Russia; International Piano Competition “Pera” in Istanbul, Turkey; International Competitions “Best Bach Performance” and “Best Schumann Performance” in London, United Kingdom; International Competition for Young Musicians “Ohrid Pearls” in Ohrid and International Competition for Young Pianists in Gevgeliya, Macedonia; International Competitions “Music and the Earth”, “Franz Schubert”, “Hopes, Talents, Masters”, “German and Austrian Music Competition” and “Classical and Contemporary Music Competition” – Bulgaria, among others.

          Sibel is a continuous winner of a scholarship for talented children awarded by the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture (2005-2013). She was selected as one of “The Successful Children of Bulgaria”, a competition organised by Dimitar Berbatov’s Foundation for Young Talents, for which she was genuinely supported through a performance tour in France in the year of 2012. In 2015, she received the “Eurobet Talent” award, given once in two years by the Bulgarian Charities Aid Foundation, Apollonia International Foundation and Eurobet. During 2016/2017, she was supported by the Sidney Perry Foundation (after winning one of their annual scholarships), as a recognition for being a gifted student in United Kingdom. Additionally, Sibel was honored to obtain sponsorship awards from Rotary Club and Lions Club, Bulgaria and her high accomplishments were officially recognised by the city of Kazanlak (2005-2011). Furthermore, she has been broadcasted on Bulgarian National Television, BTV and BiT Televisions in Bulgaria and United States throughout the years. Sibel has been invited to become part of the Royal Society of Music and Arts – an organisation initiated by the Bulgarian pianist Nadejda Tzanova with a mission to present young and remarkable artists, located in Paris and London.

          Sibel’s festival participations include “Summer Academy of Music” in La Roche D’Hys, France (2012) where she gave a solo recital with works of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Debussy. In 2014, she has joined the 22nd edition of the “International Klaviersommer Festival” in Cochem, Germany, where she was selected to perform in several concerts of the best candidates. During 2018, Sibel was one of the pianists selected to take part at the International Summer Academy of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria, being awarded a distinguished scholarship for merit.

 

          Sibel has been a regular participant of master classes worldwide given by established musicians, such as: 
Professor Pascal Devoyon (France, Germany), Professor Christopher Elton (United Kingdom), Prof. Stefan Vladar (Austria), Prof. Rustem Hayroudinoff (Rusia, United Kingdom), 
Professor Pavlina Dokovska (United States), Professor John Perry (United States, Canada), Professor Victor Rosenbaum (United States), Professor Tamara Poddubnaya (United States, Russia), Professor Zahari Metchkov (United States), Professor Ludmil Angelov (Spain, Bulgaria), Professor Vlad Dimulescu (Romania), Professor Xavier Le Comte de la Bretonnerie (France), Professor Dr. Atanas Kurtev (Bulgaria), Professor Milena Mollova (Bulgaria), 
Professor Jenny Zaharieva (Bulgaria) and Professor Victor Chuchkov (Bulgaria).