The Bulgarian National Radio Folk Music Orchestra continues its concert cycle called “Music in portraits”. Three soloists from different folklore regions and with a different approach to traditional Bulgarian music will perform in Studio No. 1 of the BNR on 18 February.

The youngest among them, accordion player Yordan Danev from Varna is a familiar name as member of the ethno and world music band Lot Lorien. “A delightful author with a broad perspective and a style of his own,” says Dimitar Hristov, conductor of the BNR Folk Music Orchestra and organizer of the “Music in portraits” cycle.

The public will also be able to hear performances by Valery Dimchev, one of the foremost tambura players in Bulgaria, composer and participant in a number of international projects who lives and works in Blagoevgrad.

Together with his Valery Dimchev Trio the musician has performed across Europe, North America and Asia. Together with Nedyalko Nedyalkov - kaval, Stoyan Yankulov-Stoundji – percussion, Peyo Peev – gadulka and other Bulgarian musicians he has taken part in projects by Jordi Savall presented around the world.

The third soloist to take part in the upcoming concert is Nikolay Doktorov, kaval. Doktorov teaches children and young people from music schools in Varna. He is also head of several folklore ensembles as well as two kaval instrumental formations. Students of his have been winning prizes at international competitions in all age groups. As a performer, he has taken part in different projects in this country and abroad. “I am happy to be doing the things I love. Throughout my life my efforts have been dedicated to music and traditional Bulgarian folklore,” he says.

“It was such a nice surprise to have been invited to take part in this new and intriguing musical format organized by the BNR Folk Music Orchestra. I welcome the idea of presenting folk music performers from all over Bulgaria. This is an opportunity to play with an incredible orchestra, but also to meet with the huge audience of the Bulgarian National Radio. I have lined up pieces by old-time kaval players, I shall also perform solo melodies. As we know, one good idea leads to another. That is why I plan to look for opportunities to help young musicians perform in public. We have such concerts at Radio Varna. It is nice to see school-children on stage who have to some degree mastered the instrument they have chosen to play making their dream come true. That is what motivates them to go on with their work. Every single one of us, the people working to preserve and develop Bulgarian folklore have been making efforts in this direction. The concerts the BNR Folk Music Orchestra organizes are a way to shorten the distance between performer and audience, a vital element of our understanding and perception of this kind of music. My own teacher, Tsvyatko Tenkov from Stefan Karadja village near Varna had not graduated the music academy. But he was a man dedicated to folk music, a man who had the talent of passing his own love of folk music onto his students, of instilling in them professional habits that stay with them for life. I have been teaching so many years now but I can still hear his voice. He has taught me everything I know and I try to pass this knowledge onto my own students. That, I find, is something truly worthwhile.”