Ljupka Jakimovska is a seasoned director and assistant director with a distinguished career at the National Opera and Ballet in Skopje, where she has been employed since 2019, following seven years of volunteer work starting in 2012. She holds a degree from New Bulgarian University in Sofia, Bulgaria, where she studied under the mentorship of Prof. Pavel Gerdjikov.

Her directorial portfolio is marked by a wide range of productions, both nationally and internationally. Ljupka has directed several major performances at the National Opera and Ballet, including “Santa’s Workshop” (2015), “Between Dreams and Flights” by Goran Načevski (2018), and the opening production of the May Opera Evenings in 2021 with “Games of Life“. She also directed “The Marriage of Figaro” by W.A. Mozart, which premiered in June 2023 at the National Opera and Ballet as part of the Balkan Opera Studio, a new initiative she has been involved in since its inception in 2023.

Ljupka’s expertise extends to high-profile international events, particularly as the director of North Macedonia’s performances at Junior Eurovision. She directed Marija Spasovska’s performance in Minsk, Belarus (2018), Mila Moskov’s performance in Gliwice, Poland (2019), and Tamara Grujoska’s performance in Nice, France (2023). These successful projects have further solidified her reputation as a director capable of crafting dynamic and visually compelling performances for a global audience.

Her career is also marked by significant collaborations with prestigious international directors. Ljupka made her international debut in 2015 at the Varna Summer Festival, Bulgaria, where she worked as an assistant director on “Adriana Lecouvreur“. Since 2017, she has been an integral part of the MAI – Music Academy International in Fiera di Primero, Italy, where she continues to serve as Senior Stage Manager and assistant director.

During her time at MAI, Ljupka has collaborated with esteemed directors such as Robin Blowers, Barbara Wojciak, Patricia Di Paolo, Ophelia Wolff and David Gately. Her work has spanned a variety of operatic productions, including “Rinaldo“, “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges“, “Hänsel und Gretel“, “The Marriage of Figaro” and “The Magic Flute“, among others.

In addition to her directorial work, Ljupka has gained valuable experience as an assistant director on numerous prestigious productions, including “Boris Godunov“, “Les Misérables“, “Faust“, “Rigoletto“, “Simon Boccanegra“, “Cavalleria Rusticana“, “Macbeth“, “Eugene Onegin“, “Turandot“, “Traviata“, “Norma“, “Il Trovatore“, and “Adriana Lecouvreur“, among others. She has had the privilege of collaborating with world-renowned directors such as Giancarlo Del Monaco, Marco Spada, Ursula Horner, Dejan Projkowski, Mario De Carlo, Enrico Castiglione and David Gately. Ljupka continues to contribute her expertise as both assistant director and director at the National Opera and Ballet in Skopje, maintaining her position as a key figure in its artistic development. Ljupka’s recent work includes directing the “Commemorative Concert on the 20th Anniversary of the Death of President Boris Trajkovski” in 2024 at the National Opera and Ballet.