Jivka Klinkova graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1947 majoring in Piano under Professor Dimitar Nenov, Conducting under Professor Edmondo di Vecci and Composition under Professor Parashkev Hadjiev and Professor Vesselin Stoyanov. She specialized in Composition with Professor Wagner-Regeny and Professor Boris Blaher in Berlin (1960-66). She attended the international courses for new music in Darmstadt (Germany, 1964), the Festival of Bournenville in Copenhagen (Denmark), the Karl Hoffer Symposium in Berlin (1982) and Heidelberg (1985). She worked as a composer and conductor at the Filip Kutev National Folklore Ensemble (the former State Ensemble for Traditional Song and Dance) since its founding in 1951 up to 1966.

She composed 11 ballets, operas, musicals; works for symphony, string and chamber orchestra; suites and other music for traditional instruments orchestra; chamber instrumental music; over 250 solo and choral songs with piano accompaniment; arrangements of traditional songs and dances; film music; pieces for pop orchestra, etc.

Her film music, her chamber opuses and her music for traditional ensembles won her international prizes. Lots of her works were premiered and performed with success abroad. She was laureate of the World Youth Festival in Bucharest (1953). In 1981 she received an Honourable Diploma from Pope John Paul II for the opera St. Cyril and St. Methodius. The score is kept in the Vatican.

Stage music:
Operas:
Snow-White (1937);
Petko the Braggadocio (1960);
The Most Improbable (1980);
St. Cyril and St. Methodius (1980; concert performance in Bydgaj, Poland with the Warsaw Opera soloists and others conducted by M. Novakowski, 1986);
Levski (1980);
Olympic Games (The Dream of Coubertain) (1995);
Diana, the Magic Princess (1998);
Rendezvous in the New Millennium (2001).

Ballets:
Kaliakra (1968);
Gergana (1968);
The Seasons (1969);
Takh Saen (1972);
Vietnamese Poem (1976);
Little Black Boy Kweny (1975);
Kaliakra (1978);
Countrymen (1981);
Mamma (1985);
Students (1975);
The Lights of the Heidelberg Place (1987).

Musical plays:
The Island of Dreams (1978).

Choral-orchestral works:
St. Cyril and St. Methodius Oratorio for male voices choir and symphony orchestra (1980);
Cantata to Friendship for soloists, choir and symphony orchestra (1983);
Five Songs in Honour of St. Methodius for choir and symphony orchestra (1985);
Symphony “Hymn of Unified Europe” for soloists, mixed choir and symphony orchestra (1999).

Works for symphony orchestra:
Symphonies:
Bulgarian Symphony (1964);
Symphony N1 (1967);
Symphony N2 (1974);
Football Symphony (1996);
Symphony in 7/8 Beat (2000);
Sinfonietta (1954, Berlin, performed by the symphony orchestra of Radio Leipzig).
Ballad (1972);
Symphony Suite (1950);
Three Symphony Suites from the ballet Kaliakra (1963);
Grumpy Petko – children’s symphony suite (1968);
Four Bulgarian Dances (1960);

Violin Concerto (1986).

Works for string orchestra:
Two pieces for orchestra of violins (1970).

Concertos:
Flute, clarinet and strings (1986); two violins, timpani and strings (1973); piano and strings (1992).

Ten Bulgarian Dances for two violins and strings (1990) (versions for: violin and strings; flute, violin and strings; two violins and piano).

For chamber orchestra:
Suite from the ballet The Lights of the Heidelberg Place for flute, viola, harp and harpsichord (1987);
Bulgarian Rhythms – three Bulgarian dances (1967);
Thracian Suite (1972); Wedding Dance (1973);
Four Songs for voice and chamber orchestra (1974). (1974).

Chamber Music:
Bulgarian Rhythms for 13 trumpets, French horn, trombone, tube, double bass and piano.
String Quartet (1960).
Trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1940);
Seven Bulgarian Frescoes for flute, oboe and bassoon (1974).

Sonatas for:
violin (1963); piano (1975); violoncello (1998).

For mixed choir:
Levski (Mother and Son) Cantata for soloists and mixed choir (1989).