We were lucky to catch up with Ralitsa Georgieva recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ralitsa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

1.Creating a volunteer ongoing benefit concert series to raise funds and bring awareness to the life and needs of children and youth at risk. Created right here, in Cleveland, in 2014. Supported organizations are UNICEF, Bessie’s Angels-Cleveland based organization, helping young women who aged out of foster care 2.Creating a volunteer Songs of the Books project. Ongoing performances of music and story telling at the Cleveland’s Providence House Crisis Nursery and Ronald McDonald Charity House.
Both projects are volunteer initiative of mine, following my strong believe that music can help in our community by bringing us together to become stronger by providing peace, joy, hope and resilience. Which is so needed and important for me, particularly, when it comes to children and youth at risk. As I believe they are the most vulnerable of all.
I grew up in communist Bulgaria. My childhood was modest but very happy. Unfortunately not for all children. And especially in a place where humans rights were quite not existing at the time, it was so when it comes to children’s rights as well.
I often seen neglected children, suffering from trauma, either emotional or physical. Or both. Some were my friends. I did not understand at the time what and why is this happening to them. I did not know how to react, what to do, can some someone help, or is this just how life is? As I continued to grow up all these memories didn’t stop haunting me. And at one moment I knew what I can do. As I started my professional career as a performing artist and educator, I knew that I can use the magic power of arts to bring the community together, bring awareness to these issues, support organizations helping children and youth, through fundraising and further more bring the arts to places where the audience and students are not the children and youth that we can see at most performance and education venues, such as concert halls and theatres. These audience and students live in unprivileged circumstances, they are at risk for emotional and/ or physical trauma, sometime they are seriously sick. So, if they can not come to the usual performance and education institutions, I decided that I am going to go to them and bring the arts. to them.
I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded and often joined in many ways in these performances by my dear colleagues and friends from the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Institute of Music, Piano Cleveland, and many more incredible cultural institutions around Cleveland and Ohio.

Ralitsa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a classical pianist and a piano teacher. Born, raised and trained in Bulgaria. I started playing piano at the age of 4. Continued my professional training in classical music while attending School for Gifted Children at the age of 13, and then pursued at bachelors and masters degree at the National Conservatory of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria. I did the highest degree at the time available at college, but I did not feel like I am done. I wanted more, I was curious what else is out there, about music that I can learn. This is how I ended up in America. Once I graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music I dedicated my professional career to education and performance. I have been teaching for over 20 years now. Education is the one thing that no one can take away from you as Michelle Obama says. Following this words, living by their meaning, I provide education to anyone who comes to me, beginner, advanced, very young, adult, college level, any student. Because once education enters your mind and body, no one can take it away from you no matter what comes into your life, and because it empowers you in anything you do and face in life., I teach piano, but in my mind, I teach people how to study, learn, practice, I teach them discipline, commitment, love and appreciation for the process of learning. So, it can be anything really.. Because these are the qualities that are crucial for nurturing a young human, as a future responsible, knowledgeable, a good member of our society. Or when it comes to an adult student, I teach them the principles of an art form, to carry with them, to love, to share, to be the next art supporter and educator.
If I am not in the teaching room, I can be found in two institutions around Cleveland, playing the piano, interact with the children, tell stories, bring the arts to them. Because they are children and youth who can not be at a classroom or a concert hall, or a theatre, at this moment in their lives. Because they are the children who live at the Providence House Crisis Nursery, and they are the children who are going through medical treatments and are residing at the Ronald McDonald Charity House. My visits at both these places are part of my project Songs of the Books. I bring the music to these places, as I believe that music can bring joy, peace, hope and resilience.
Luckily I am surrounded by amazing colleagues and friends who help these projects become a reality. For example the receiving great keyboards donations by Piano Cleveland is instrumental to be able to bring music to these places. And I am often joined by dear friends and colleagues Eve McPherson, Cori Lovinger( who are on the pictures), and Jason Smith. This is my team so far ,But I am a person who always looks for more and new ways to present my art form and empower it by combining all arts- music, literature, dance. So, I am in the process of developing this idea of expanding my Songs of the Books project and try to reach further. And I would love to know more about people in the arts around who have a similar mind and a heart that goes into support of unprivileged children and youth, people who would like to join me in this journey.
Other places I can be found outside the teaching studio are my favorite cafes in the area, in the company of dear friends and colleagues, discussing performance ideas and programing, as part of my Music for Our Children benefit concert series. In which we raise funds through concerts to support organizations helping children and youth in need. Such as UNICEF, Bessie’s Angels local organization helping young ladies who aged out of foster care. The performances feature the incredibly high level of artistry that we have in our amazing cultural scene, here, in Cleveland. Cleveland Orchestra members, Cleveland Institute of Music faculty, Cleveland Ballet, and many more.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Education and community engagement- my believe that as an educator I open a crack of a door to enter the music world, give the tools, develop the skills, and continue mastering the form throughout lifetime. Teach it to others. Share the magic of it. Use it to empower community. Become a better person through it.

I work towards fulfilling dreams in others, when I can- for example, I have a student who at one point said that she dreams to perform music at Carnegie Hall. Before she finish high school. And shortly after she said that, she did perform at Carnegie Hall, Weill recital hall. She is 13 years old now.

Beforehand I told her that she needs to work very hard, very dedicated, and I will guide her in the process. And it did happen. It is priceless to see the increase of emotions and flow of energy and motivation, in a student with this drive. It is priceless to see the grow of an young artist and the believe in yourself.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The opportunity to create something original, that no one else created exactly in the same way. And to see it through the eyes of the others. To see the impact of it on others. For example, seeing the sparkle of joy in children’s eyes after you play Mozart sonata, or Under the Sea,, that spontaneous hug and hold hands , while we share this magic moment… .. .
The opportunity and impact when bringing the arts outside the classroom. Bringing them to not traditional venues. The places where arts are not part of every day life, the places that they change every day life, they bring a new world when and where is the most needed.
The opportunity and result of presenting arts further than an entertainment field. Using their power to make a change in the community.    

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Music for Our Children
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Jason Smith