On 1 October, the World Music Day, we present a few Bulgarian musicians from the younger generation with successful careers worldwide.

One of them is pianist Philip Ivanov who was born in Belgium in 1988. His debut as soloist on stage was when he was aged 10. In 2002 Philip Ivanov won the competition of the Belgian Radio & Television in Brussels. This allowed him to join the forum Young Musicians at Eurovision in Luzern. Inз 2008 the talented pianist took his master’s degree from the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. Three years later he was admitted at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg as postgraduate student of Pavel Gililov.

Despite his young age, Philip Ivanov‘s CV is impressive. He has played in concert with prestigious orchestras such as the Brussels Philharmonic, the Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra and the BNR Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 the pianist joined a concert with the motto The Music Treasures of Bulgaria held at Carnegie Hall, New York. Philip Ivanov is winner of prestigious awards including Chopin from the competition of the same name in Salzburg in 2010, and third prize from the 28th International Piano Competition in Hamamatsu, Japan.

© Photo: СМС

Atanas Krastevр, cello was born in Sofia in 1988. Since early childhood, the son followed into the steps of his father, leading cellist Anatoli Krastev. Atanas graduated the Lubomir Pipkov National High Scholl of Music and the Pancho Vladigerov National Music Academy where he got his MA. Atanas Krastev continued his studies with Prof. Natalia Shakhovskaya at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, Madrid. He has joined master classes with some of the world’s leading cello pedagogues. Krastev Jr. has won competitions in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia and Spain. He is holder of a diploma and prize of the Ministry of Culture and of the Crystal Lyre of the Union of the Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers.

Atanas Krastev has given concerts in most countries of Europe, as well as in South America. In 2008 he had a debut as soloist of the Sofia Philharmonic and on the next year – of the BNR Symphony Orchestra. In 2013 Atanas Krastev took part in the international music festivals Varna Summer and Sofia Music Weeks. He was successful appearing at the competition New Talents of Music in Bratislava that continues in October.

© Photo: archive

Another young Bulgarian musician with a successful career abroad is clarinetist Denitsa Laffchieva. She was born in 1980. In adolescence she already worked with prestigious Bulgarian and European orchestras. In 2000 the listeners of the Bulgarian National Radio nominated her for Musician of the Year. Denitsa Laffchieva is holder of the Ministry of Culture award for an exceptional contribution into Bulgarian culture.

Denitsa Laffchieva has graduated three music institutions with long traditions – the Royal Music Academy in London, the Vienna University of Music and the National Music Academy in Sofia. Currently, she works in London, Vienna and Helsinki. In the Finnish capital Laffchieva is first clarinetist of Sinfonia Finlandia Orchestra.

English version Daniela Konstantinova