victoria kirilova

bassist | composer | educator

roots & skies: out now

"A gently elegiac tone free of melancholy—rather, what one hears is exhilarating poetry. A surprise, a discovery.” — Der Standard

"Each song is a gem" — The Jazz Journal (UK)

"Sometimes softly floating, sometimes carried by driving grooves, the pieces unfold a narrative power that touches deeply" — Music Austria

news

28.11.25
I had the chance to present my music in the legendary Sunset/Sunside in Paris
in collaboration with the jazzy colors festival and the Bulgarian culture institute.
You can find two videos from the evening on my
You Tube channel @victoriakirilovamusic
30.09.2025
I’m very happy to announce that I’ve been nominated for the Austrian Jazz Prize —
both as a Newcomer and for Best Album.
This means a lot!
5.08.2025
In September, two important projects will reach their final stages: the I AM ABROAD project,
with performances in Gothenburg, and Nexus by Musica Bacan, featuring a participation in the European Jazz Conference in Bari.
I’m looking forward to seeing and creating again with my fellow musicians
4.05.2025
Over the next 30 days, you can listen to an interview with Andreas Felber
on Austrian National Radio (Ö1). We talk about my album Roots & Skies,
the Viennese music scene, and Bulgarian folklore. Here is the link:
Ö1 Jazz Night

17.03.2025
My debut album as a leader “Roots &Skies” will be released on 21 st March for Da Vinci Jazz. The
realization of this album has been a dream of mine for years! The release concert will be on 11.04 at
ORF Radiokulturhaus in Vienna and will be broadcasted during the 5 Milionen Pesos radio program.

15.02.2025
Nexus Cross Border Mutual Mentorship Program, organized by Musica Bacan, is starting this spring
and I am honoured to be one of the four selected musicians and very happy for the opportunity to
create, share and re/connect with musicians in North Italy

05.01.2025
I am happy to be among the selected musicians for the the new European project I AM ABROAD,
promoted by Taller de Musics, in collaboration with Tumulttotal and Knutpunkt. It will include
performances, co-creation and networking sessions, scheduled for December 2024 in Vienna, March
2025 in Barcelona and September 2025 in Gothenburg. Really looking forward!

about

A double bass player and composer, Victoria is an active musician in the Viennese and European music scene. Her music is a mixture of various influences – from the diversity of harmonies and timbres in contemporary jazz and chamber music to the poetry and groove of traditional Bulgarian chants and odd rhythms. Inspired by themes of unity, inclusivity, and the balance between tradition and innovation, in her album “Roots&Skies” (Da Vinci Records 2025) she aims to find connections between the local and global through her compositions.

MUK Vienna, and Milan Conservatory alumna, Victoria has earned prestigious accolades including the Start-Scholarship from the Austrian Ministry of Art and Culture, the Fidelio Competion (Vienna), and the Italian National “Premio delle Arti”.

Victoria has appearances at international festivals, such as Bergamo Jazz, Firenze Jazz Festival, Jazz al Parque (Bogota), Medejazz (Medellin), Amman Jazz Festival, Musiqa 3al Daraj (Petra), Kultursommer(Vienna), Carinthischer Sommer, Novara Jazz, A to Jazz Festival(Sofia), and venues such as BOZAR, Brussels, Musikverein, Konzerthaus Vienna, Wenshui Art Hall, Taipei. She has recorded for the Austrian (Ö1), Italian (RAI) and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), and participated in Goethe Institut artistic residency project Halaqat in Brussels and Petra (Jordan), the MuFA mentoring program, as well as the European project I AM ABROAD with creative sessions in Vienna, Barcelona and Gotheburg.

roots &skies

Victoria Kirilova’s first studio album as a bandleader, “Roots&Skies” (DaVinci Jazz, 2025) blends jazz and and contemporary chamber music with Bulgarian folklore and Middle Eastern elements. Her work aims to balance the common and different, the local and global, “me” and “us”, East and West, creating a transcultural musical identity that resonates universally. Themes of peace, homesickness, and the joy of travel and encounters form a coherent mosaic.
The album’s title reflects Victoria’s vision of connecting her perception of Bulgarian traditional music to the “open space” of different musical impacts, with the aim to reframe these roots as living, dynamic forces within contemporary music.
Each piece tells a story, transporting listeners to exotic cities, vibrant landscapes, and mystical night train journeys. The compositions evoke a sense of magical realism, featuring narratives about rebellious young women, cross-cultural encounters, and the thrill of discovery.

Oscar Antoli– clarinet, bass clarinet

Urs Hager-piano

Victoria Kirilova – bass, compositions

Amir Wahba – percussion

other projects

Life Aquatic – Water Shapes

Subconscious Trio – Moving Castles

Max Plattner Ploy – Chant

I AM ABROAD Sessions Avin Ahmadi & Victoria Kirilova

Amman Jazz Festival Halaqat Project

Colores – Aguas Profundas

Milcho Leviev – The Island

La.Do – Shevitza

Juan Felipe Pulido & Laura Valbuena

tour

07.02 Life Aquatic @vekks, VIenna
06.03 The Thrill Seekers @Mi Barrio
08.03 The Thrill Seekers @Tischlerei Melk
13.03 Basma Jabr Quartet @ Wiener Konzerthaus
14.03 Victoria Kirilova “Roots& Skies” @That’s Jazz, Krems
10.04 The Thrill Seekers @Tanzcafe Arlberg Festival
11.04 The Thrill Seekers @Weingut Teufl, Retz
16.04 Victoria Kirilova “Roots& Skies” @Hob i Raum Bad Vöslau
18.04 Elena Schäfer Album Presentation
24.04 The Thrill Seekers @Boogiehasen Vienna
30.04 The Thrill Seekers @Cafe Imperial
3.05 Elena Schäfer Quintet @zwe, Vienna
23.05 Duo Avin Ahmadi &Victoria Kirilova @ Festival Muyzkofili Torun, Poland
10.06 Bibiane Zimba Album Release @ Haus des Meeres
20.06 The Thrill Seekers @Ahoy Savoy Ball, Linz
26.06 The Thrill Seekers @ Ball der Sängerknaben

press

downloads

teaching

Victoria is an experienced educator, offering workshops and individual lessons in double bass, bass guitar and ensemble. She teaches at Amadeus International School and Sing &Swing Academy, Vienna and offers private remote and in person individual bass lessons.