Biliana Tzinlikova, the pianist, feels equally comfortable on the solo stage, as a chamber musician, and as a song accompanist. Her inquisitive nature and spirit of discovery allow her to reflect on a diverse discography, predominantly featuring world premiere recordings from the piano literature.
Tzinlikova honed her pianistic skills by drawing influence from various piano traditions. She studied at the Russian Piano School under Marina Kapatzinskaja at the State Academy of Music in Sofia and at the Leygraf Piano School, pursuing master concert studies with Christoph Lieske at the Mozarteum University. Intensive collaborations with Ruggiero Ricci (1998 – 2003) and Ferenc Rados (2002 – 2005) significantly shaped her musical journey. Additionally, she gained valuable insights from master classes with Elisso Virsaladse, Arndzej Jaszinsky, Pavel Gililov, Menahem Pressler, Paul Badura-Skoda, Alexander Lonquich, and Klaus-Christian Schuster.
In recent years, Tzinlikova’s focus as a concert pianist has shifted towards rediscovering and performing forgotten piano music, a passion evident in her CD recordings. Notably, in 2014, she released a world premiere recording of Franz Anton Hoffmeister’s Piano Sonata on a 3-CD set (Grand Piano, Naxos International), quickly establishing herself in the professional realm. Her recordings received enthusiastic reviews from internationally recognized music organizations and academics. Subsequent releases include a CD featuring virtuosic variations by Stephen Heller in 2016, piano compositions by the French composer Louise Farrenc in 2018, and a CD featuring works by Germaine Tailleferre, Georges Auric, and Louis Durey in 2020, all published by Paladino Music.
Since 2017, Tzinlikova has collaborated with actors and actresses to organize cross-genre concert programs, emphasizing works by female composers in music history. As a sought-after chamber music partner, she frequently collaborates locally and internationally with renowned artists such as Christian Gerhaher, Adrian Eröd, Thomas Selditz, Klara Flieder, Thomas Riebl, Colin Jacobsen, Ulf Schneider, Ann Harvey-Nagl, Vesna Stankovic, Stephan Picard, Patrick Demenga, Gustav Rivinius, Dany Bonvin, Esther Hoppe, Christophe Pantillon, Marta Sudraba, Andreas Schablas, Christoph Zimper, and members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a soloist, Tzinlikova has graced the stage at prestigious venues like the Mozart Week Festival in Salzburg and collaborated with Stefan Sanderling and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Her performances have spanned almost every country in Europe and the USA. In 2004, she made her debut at the Viennese Concert House. Currently, Biliana Tzinlikova holds a professorship at the Mozarteum University in Austria, leading a class for piano and chamber music. She is also the initiator and artistic director of the festival “Kammermusiktage Erika Frieser,” dedicated to works by female composers. Since May 2023, she has served as a co-founder and member of the Ehrbar Chamber Music Society in Vienna.