Bulgaria’s Maya Neshkova, the only Bulgarian singer to have performed concerts on stadium stages, celebrates her 69th birthday on May 1, 2026.
Born in Sofia on May 1, 1957, Neshkova first gained recognition as a student at the Estrada Department of the Bulgarian State Conservatory (BDK). From 1976 to 1977, she was a member of the vocal trio “Objective,” performing numerous concerts and making several recordings.
Neshkova graduated from the conservatory in 1978, studying under Irina Chmihova. She then moved to Blagoevgrad, joining the newly established orchestra led by composer Kiril Ikonomov.
In the early 1980s, the popularity of the “Blagoevgrad” orchestra and its soloist steadily grew beyond regional borders with songs like “Konche vihrogonche” and “Slancheva obich.” Ikonomov incorporated melodies close to folk music into these tracks. As a soloist with the “Blagoevgrad” orchestra, Neshkova performed in Western Europe and toured the USSR, and Yugoslavia.
In 1986, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) broadcast the film “Slancheva obich” from a concert by the “Blagoevgrad” orchestra in Sandanski. The following year, in 1987, she won the Grand Prize at the international festival in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
