© Photo: personal archive
Aleksander Tekeliev was born on 3 June 1942 in the town of Svilengrad /South Bulgaria/. He became interested in music as early as his childhood – a small accordion was his favorite toy and he learned to play it without any help. He entered the Plovdiv Music School in 1956 and later on he continued his studies in the composition class of Vesselin Stoyanov, who was one of the Bulgarian classic musicians. He helped Aleksander built his individual style. In 1980 Mr. Tekeliev went to Budapest, where he went through an additional training with composer Attila Bozay and another one followed a couple of years later with Michel Filippo in Paris.
Aleksander Tekeliev has been a dedicated lecturer at the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia since 1977. The Sofia Award is one of his prizes, won for The Shadow ballet /1985/. We offer you next a fragment of Suite No 1 of The Shadow in the rendition of the Symphonic Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio /BNR/, conducted by Nayden Todorov.
Bulgarian Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov gave the Golden Age award to Aleksander Tekeliev in May 2012. The prestigious award is handed for contribution in art.
The Cook of the Duke opera, three ballets, two oratorios, symphonies for string orchestra, chamber works – these are all included in the work of the talented composer. Mr. Tekeliev has composed soundtracks to different movies, many choir and children’s songs… Listen now to Clock, performed by Radiokids children’s vocal band and written by Ivan Enchev.
The latest work of the famous composer will be performed on 14 June on the occasion of his 70th anniversary within the frameworks of the Sofia Musical Weeks international festival. Aleksander Tekeliev himself gives us the details:
“The Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra usually includes in its concert plans a new work of an author that celebrates an anniversary. This marvelous idea made me create my Heart of a Bird vocal poem for soprano and orchestra, written by my talented colleague and poet Filip Pavlov. Singer Vesselina Vassileva will perform the piece and skillful Ljubka Biagioni will be the conductor. I do thank her for that. The poem talks about love, this unexplainable and marvelous feeling that raises the spirit, bringing light, beauty and joy into the soul of a person. The music leaves the impression of a confession via the hidden dialogue between the solo part and the ensemble. I think the audience will feel the love message of the poem.”
This Music edition ends up with Aleksander Tekeliev’s Sonatina for Piano, Dimitar Tsanev plays the grand piano, followed by two other pieces of the famous composer.
English version: Zhivko Stanchev
