Peabody Conservatory students Mauricio Rey Gallego and Teodora Adzharova are slated to come to UMBC in accordance with a new partnership between UMBC and the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. The two plan to coach chamber music students under the mentorship of UMBC’s music faculty member Airi Yoshioka, and to perform a recital at the Earl and Darielle Linehan Concert Hall for free, later this fall on November 13.
“Bringing together the different kinds of students that we each have at our schools in a meaningful way is an important goal of this partnership,” according to UMBC Department of Music Chair Linda Dusman. “Our undergraduate students will benefit from working with more advanced students and having the opportunity to envision careers in music through contact with Peabody’s young professionals.”
“One of the strengths of this collaboration stems from the fact that UMBC’s music program focuses on new music, on experimentation, and innovation—and does so in a gorgeous new concert hall,” said Sarah Hoover, the special assistant to the dean of innovation, interdisciplinary partnerships, and community initiatives at the Peabody Institute. She adds that, ideally, the partnership will build audiences for the Linehan Concert Hall while also providing developmental experience for students at the Peabody Institute.
Scott Casper, UMBC’s Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, notes that the partnership between UMBC and the Peabody Institute represents a remarkable opportunity for both institutions to further their education and grow through cooperative work. Casper also adds that he has high hopes with this new partnership, adding that, “We [UMBC] look forward to the future collaborative opportunities that will emerge from this beginning.”
Born in Madrid, Spain, in 1991, Mauricio Rey Gallego began playing the cello at the age of eight, studying at the Conservatorio Professional de Música until he was 17. He would then later complete his undergraduate studies at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música in his hometown. Gallego completed the master of music degree at Peabody in 2015, studying under the tutelage of Amit Peled, and is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree at Peabody.
As an orchestral musician, Gallego has travelled internationally and has performed in Spain, France, Germany, Finland, and the U.S. Rey had also participated in numerous festivals and music courses throughout Europe and the U.S., including the Fórum de Violoncellos de España, Escuela y Festival International de Música Ciudad red Lucena PRESJOVEM, and Cursos Superiors de Música Unicaja, the Bouquet International Music Masters Festival, Interlochen Chautauqua, and the International Cello Festival at Towson University.
Teodora Adzharova, born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, began studying piano at the age of seven. By the time Adzharova graduated from high school, she had won both national and international competitions in several countries. She studied at the Conservatory in Bulgaria and the University of Central Arkansas. After earning a master’s degree at Peabody, she joined the Peabody Conservatory and Preparatory faculties and is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree. She is also the accompanying coordinator at the Peabody Institute.
