Meet Sava Velkoff, violist
Sava Velkoff, violist
Sava Velkoff recently joined the ESO as a violist.
“I am elated to join the Elgin Symphony Orchestra! Everyone is so friendly and hardworking. I enjoy the diverse repertoire that we have performed so far, and am excited for our future concerts,” Sava said.
“I really enjoy the connection you feel on stage when playing for a live audience. It can be a bit intimidating the first few times, but everyone is there to enjoy the music we love performing,” she added.
A graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in viola performance, she is the only student to have won the Western Michigan University Concerto Competition twice consecutively. She’s currently pursuing a master’s degree at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and is a founding member of Ikaros Ensemble, a chamber music collective driven to share unique musical collaborations with the community.
“A few of my colleagues from Roosevelt University and I had our debut concert this past April. We focus on performing rare repertoire and collaborating with other instrumentalists and singers. We have curated four performances so far and are excited to continue sharing our music!” Sava said.
One of her favorite music to play is “any music written by Tchaikovsky. The melodies he writes can make you feel a range of emotions from exhilaration to heart-wrenching. His music truly can touch each person who hears it. Tchaikovsky has fantastic symphonies and concertos, as well as chamber music,” she said.
Sava has performed as a soloist with the Kent Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. She has played as an orchestral member of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Festival of Chicago and is currently a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Her international experience has included summer performances at the Vienna Summer Music Festival, the Berlin Opera Academy, and the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Italy.