Kristina Zlatareva

A native of Bulgaria, violinist Kristina Zlatareva is building a multifaceted career as a performer, educator and arts entrepreneur. She has appeared on the international stage alongside artists James Ehnes, Sarah Chang, Ray Chen, Kim Kennedy, Anthony Elliott, Pauline Martin, and Rohan de Silva, and her solo performances have been broadcasted on NPR, Los Angeles’ KUSC, PBS and the Wisconsin Public Radio . She has given recitals across the United States and Europe, including regular appearances with Chamber Soloists of Detroit and the Juliani Ensemble of Chicago.

As an educator, Ms. Zlatareva was recently appointed Violin and Viola faculty at Northwestern’s Music Academy and joined Harold Washington College in Chicago as Visitiong Professor of Violin and Viola. Ms. Zlatareva’s students have been accepted into prestigious institutions such as University of Michigan, Northwestern University, Indiana University, The Oberlin Conservatory, University of Texas at Austin, String Academy at Indiana University, Center Stage Strings and Credo Festival at Oberlin. During the summer seasons, Ms. Zlatareva has taught at Center Stage Strings, the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival and the Luzerne Music Center in New York.

As a pedagogue dedicated to supporting a new generation of extraordinary classical musicians of underrepresented backgrounds, Ms. Zlatareva has served on the faculty at the Sphinx Organization’s Overture Program in Detroit and Flint, MI where she has worked with public school students ages 7-10, as well as Ravinia Sistema in Waukegan, IL.

Ms. Zlatareva enjoys a parallel career in arts entrepreneurship and administration. In 2023, she was appointed Managing Director at Center Stage Strings – one of the leading summer festivals for string players in the United States. In 2019 and 2023, Ms. Zlatareva traveled to Cambodia and Laos alongside concert violinist & UN Messenger of Peace, Midori, where she managed the execution of over 40 performances, reaching over 10,000 people as part of the International Music Engagement Program (ICEP). She has held previous intern positions at Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Community Engagement & Outreach Department and at New York City’s leading management agency, Primo Artists.

Ms. Zlatareva received her Bachelor and Master of Music from University of Michigan, where she studied and served as a teaching assistant to Danielle Belen. Currently she pursues a Doctoral Degree in Violin Performance at Northwestern University in Chicago under the tutelage of Professor Blair Milton.