"Endeavor your utmost to compose beautiful poems to be chanted with heavenly music; thus may their beauty affect the minds and impress the hearts of those who listen."

Vocalist, conductor, composer and poet Gergana Velinova has inspired audiences around the world with her wide-ranging artistic talents. Alternately playful, searching and emotionally raw, her work tracks the path of an adventurous, thirsty soul.

Awards-winning performer Gergana has enjoyed an international career working in diverse musical genres such as jazz, modern, classical and gospel. During her years as a fixture of New York City's avant-garde music scene, she formed the group Ensemble Gergana and released her first record of original music inspired by her  poetry. A highlight of 2010-2012 season for Gergana is the release of two new records 'The Thief' featuring her original compositions and 'Softly a record of voice and piano duets of timless jazz ballads. 

With a repertoire extending from Mozart and Stravinsky to Ellington, Monk and Jobim, as well as her own compositions, Gergana has shared the stage with many accomplished artists such as Bob Moses, Neil Swainson, Don Thompson, Brad Turner, Misha Piatigorsky, Willard Dyson, Bennett Paster and Eric Dozier to name a few.

Gergana is currently head of the vocal program of the Jazz Department at the Victoria Conservatory of Music in Victoria, Canada. She also teaches at the VCM Summer Jazz Academy and produces and facilitates vocal workshops throughout Canada and the US.

Growing up in communist Bulgaria, Gergana has the opportunity to be equally involved in music, theater and ballet and is a member of a highly acclaimed children's poetry group featured in children's radio and TV shows. At the age of eight she goes on her first European tour as a singer/soloist in the popular children's choir Pim-Pam and is almost expelled from school due to a full time performing schedule of concerts, recordings and tours. This busy life style continues until 1992, when after graduating from the "L. Pipkov" Music High School majoring in classical guitar, Gergana leaves her native Sofia to study in the "City of Angels" as a voice student at the Musicians Institute of Technology in Hollywood.

Interested in pursuing a broader range of vocal idioms in 1995 Gergana moves to Boston to become the first graduate student of the newly established Modern American Music Program at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. Still not satisfied after receiving her Master's Degree in Classical-Contemporary and Jazz Voice Performance, Gergana moves to New York City in 1998 where she is graced by the mentorship of Bulgarian opera diva Stefka Evstatieva with whom she studies opera and vocal technique. Her love for classical art song and contemporary classical music leads her yet to another shining star...world-renowned soprano Lucy Shelton  who becomes her musical mentor and idol until present.

In addition to her performance career she has an extensive experience as a conductor and music educator. Gergana is the conductor of the Victoria Conservatory of Music Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the founder of the NYC Bulgarian Children's Choir (now named after her) and has worked with the One Human Family Gospel Choirs in Canada and the US as a vocal coach and director.