Dr. Maya Raykova’s research interests are focused on the history and theory of Western church music and related church scientific disciplines. She graduated from the Sofia National Academy of Music in 1972. For two years (1993-1995) she studied organ, Gregorian chant and recorder at the Academy of Catholic Music in Regensburg. Doctor since 2004. She specialized in Germany in 1984 for three months in Erfurt with the house organist Wilhelm Kümpel – practice in liturgical playing.

Dr. Maya Raykova is a teacher of piano, recorder and solfege, accompanist, ballet tutor and accompanist at the “Dr. P. Beron 1926” community center.
She held the positions of piano teacher, cantor of the Catholic co-cathedral church “St. Joseph” Sofia until 1993, from 1995 and currently a piano teacher, cantor and organist of the Catholic Chapel “Holy Annunciation”, former Apostolic Chapel for foreign-speaking Catholics in Sofia. Organist of the Anglican Church in the capital.

Expert and public activity of Dr. Maia Raykova:
1. Taught “History of Western Church Music” 1 semester according to the program in the three-year theological course at the church “St. Francis” of the Carmelite Fathers in Sofia. (2012)
2. She composed the music of the hymn for the three blessed Kamen Vichev, Yozafat Shishkov and Pavel Dzhizhov, performed during their beatification by the visiting Pope John Paul II in Plovdiv, 2002, which was published in “Istina” – “Veritas” 5 /2002 ISSN 0861-6450
3. Regular contributor to the national Catholic press – in “Istina -Veritas” 1/2006 ISSN 0861-6450 with articles on music and translations from German of ecclesiastical and ecclesiastical-musical materials.

Awards received:

– Prize of the contest “St. Patriarch Euthymius” for the essay “Text of the Banat mass;

– Testimony of an old liturgical practice of the Banat Catholic community” -2006.

Participation in conferences:
The legacy of Father Neofit Rilski – Sofia 14-15 04, 2011.
20 years since the restoration of the “Musicologists” section – Sofia, 2015.
40 years Academy of Music and Dance Art – Plovdiv – 1017. At the conference – report on Trifon Silyanovski’s Stabat Mater – not yet published.” Stabat Mater of Trifon Siljanovski”.

Concert activity:
Organ accompaniment at 2 concerts with opera singing students of Galya Pavlova in the Cathedral of St. Joseph” – Sofia in 2004 and 2006;
Harpsichord accompaniment at a concert by Petar Danailov’s opera singing students in the cathedral “St. Joseph” – Sofia 2014.
Concert in the Cathedral “St. Joseph” – Sofia with cellist Grigoriy Dimovski – organ and cello on the occasion of the canonization of Pope John Paul II Pope Angelo Roncalli on April 24, 2014.
Performances of a part of a concerto for harpsichord and orchestra solo mitor – Bach, with the orchestra “Classics” with conductor Svetoslav Lazarov in the cathedral “St. Joseph” – Sofia – 2016.

Currently, Dr. Maya Raykova participates in the interdisciplinary Gothic project of “Dom Vulfila” at Balkanmedia/Sofia as a musicologist-theologian with the task of researching the structure of the Mozarabic Mass and its music, as well as questions related to the hagiography of the Christian Goths who lived on The Balkans in the age of Latin Christianity.

Monographs, scientific studies and articles:

“Renaissance and liturgical music in Bulgaria” in “Renaissance and Bulgaria”, Sofia 1995 ISBN 954-8232-60-X; The Renaissance and liturgical music in Bulgaria;

“Classification and Music-Catechism Essence of the Christmas Cycle from the Church Song Repertoire of the Banat Bulgarians: Songs for Advent, Christmas and the Post-Christmas Period” in “Bulgarian Musicology” 1/2003 ISSN 0204-823X” Classification and Music-Catechism Essence of the Christmas Cycle in the Church-Song Repertoire of the Banat Bulgarians;

“The cultural-religious identity of the Banat Bulgarians, reflected in their church-song liturgical repertoire” in “Bulgarian Musicology” 4/2003 ISSN 0204-823X “Cultural-Religions Identity of the Banat Repertory Reflected in Their Church-Song Liturgical Repertory;

“Content, structure, linguistic and liturgical features of Catholic prayer books: Antifonale monasticum, Benedictine manual for the processions of the Holy Sacrament and two Banat prayer books.” In “Liturgical books – known and unknown” Sofia 2008 ISBN 978-954-9700-72-5; The content, structure and paleographic characteristics of catholic prayer book texts: Antiphonale Monasticum (AM)’ Manuel des Benedictions et processions du tres Saint Sacrament (MB) and three Banat books;

“Two newly discovered musical manuscripts in the Regional Historical Museum – Gabrovo” in “The Legacy of Father Neofit Rilski: Art Criticism, Theology and Philology Aspects” Sofia 2012 ISBN978-954-8594-32-5; Zwei neu entdecte Musikhandschriften in der regional historical Museum – Gabrovo;

“On some note systems in Antiquity and the Middle Ages” in “Scriptura mundi”, Balkan media – Sofia 2014 ISSN 0861-5047. About Some Systems for Music Notation in Antiquity and the Middle Ages: in “Scriptura mundi”, Balkan media – Sofia;

“The musical drama of St. Hildegard “Ordo virtutum” – dramaturgy, melodic-tonal characterization and recording of the chants, influences and connections with the Gregorian chant. Section “Musicologists” 2016. Saint Hildegard´s musical drama Ordo virtutum- dramaturgy, forms and genres of the hymns, melodic tonal influences and connections with the Gregorian chorale.

Note: Due to the lack of a Catholic scientific journal, some music-theoretical articles were published in the national Catholic press in “Istina – Veritas”.

Scientific reviews:

“Melodic peculiarities in the formation of the Gregorian Credo-melodies in the IV mode” in “Musical Horizons” 8/2000 ISSN1310-0076;
“Strophic church songs in the Banat church song repertoire” in “Musical Horizons” 6/2002 ISSN 1310-0076;
“The Latin church hymn Tantum ergo” in the composition work of Eugene Pothier” in “Musical Horizons” 7/2003 ISSN1310-0076;
“A look at the Gregorian melodic variants of the Lord’s prayer “Pater noster” in “Musical horizons” 3/2004 ISSN 1310-0076;
“A Look at Gregorian Chant for the Holy Trinity” in “Musical Horizons” 4/2006 ISSN 1310-0076;
“The Contemporary State of the Church Singing Repertoire of the Catholic Church in the USA” in “Musical Horizons” 5/2005 ISSN 1310-0076;
“Contemporary music in the church” in “Istina-Veritas” 8/1998 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Church-musical norms and the liturgy” in “Istina-Veritas” 4/1999 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Ancient Jewish poetry and musical instruments” in “Istina-Veritas” 2/2000 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Rabbani Mavrii – poet and teacher” in “Istina-Veritas” 2/2000 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Christ’s words on the cross with the language of music” in “Istina-Veritas” 5/2000 ISSN 0861-6450;
“The parameters of the Gregorian chant in the modern psalmody of the Western Church” in “Istina-Veritas” 9/2000 ISSN 0861-6450;
“A short history of organ building and organ church music” in “Istina-Veritas” 4/2001 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Saint Andrew of Crete and Byzantine church music” in “Istina-Veritas” 10/2002 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Did the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius write church music” in Istina-Veritas” 10/2002 ISSN 0861-6450;
“The hymns in the Catholic and Orthodox liturgy” in “Istina-Veritas” 7.8/2004 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Medieval written monuments of Gregorian chant” in “Istina-Veritas” 5.6/2007 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Music hidden behind medieval neumes” in “Istina-Veritas” 2/2006 ISSN 0861-6450;
“History of origin of Christmas carols” in “Istina-Veritas” 12/2008 ISSN 0861-6450;
“History of the origin of the passion chorale “Head in blood and wounds” in “Istina-Veritas” 3.4/2009 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Meeting with the forgotten” (for Trifon Silyanovski) in “Istina-Veritas” 12/2005 ISSN 0861-6450;
Fiction in “Veritas”;
“With colleagues about Mozart” in “Istina-Veritas” 1/2006 ISSN 0861-6450;
“Art for glorifying the Most High” (J.S. Bach) in “Istina-Veritas” 3,4/2000 ISSN 0861-6450
and many others.

Reviews:

“Orthodox music and Bulgarian folk songs in distant Canada” in “Musical Horizons” 9/2005 ISSN 1310-0076;
“An extraordinary concert” in “Musical Horizons” 6/2005 ISSN 1310-0076;
“The Crucifixion of a Spirit. Concert with music by Trifon Silyanovski” in “Musical Horizons” 10/2005 ISSN 1310-0076;
“Quartet “Eolina” and Galya Pavlova” in “Musical Horizons” 5/2007 ISSN 1310-0076;
“New initiative in music house “Boris Hristov” in “Musical horizons” 3/2006 ISSN 1310-0076;
“A new encounter with the art of the “Eolina” quartet in “Musical Horizons” 6/2009 ISSN 1310-0076.

Translations:

Gertrud die Große, Gesandter der göttlichen Liebe – 1875. Ertrud the Great. Messenger of God’s love. “Comunitas” Foundation, 2014;
“Music and Liturgy” Joseph Ratzinger – from his book “The Spirit of the Liturgy”, translated from German in “Musical Horizons” 10/2005 ISSN 1310-0076.