Ivan Staykov has had a long professional history with the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band. He has arranged and composed music for it. He was first introduced to music by his mother and then by composer Dimuitar Nenov. He graduated from the National Academy of Music in 1956 and later edited and prepared for print works by his idol and teacher Dimitar Nenov. He edited his Piano Concerto (the score had been destroyed), restored and completed Nenov's Symphony No. 2 and transcribed some major works by him.

Ivan Staykov has for most of his life been a freelance musician, something quite rare in this country.

Poet  Zachary Petrov,  Staykov's close friend and the author of many of the lyrics of his songs, literally determined the direction of his professional path. Here's what Ivan Staykov recalls:

„It was Zahary Petrov's idea. He had submitted many of his compositions to the National Radio but back at that time there were no professional arrangers of music for the Big Band apart from Emil Georgiev, the Band's conductor. I was given two pieces and I arranged them. I had listened to a vinyl record with music of the Stan Kenton orchestra and copied that model. When I gave the arrangements to Emil Georgiev he was flabbergasted - I had written the trumpet part at a very high register. So this was how it all began. I still remember my trip to Japan where I won an award at an international competition. Late Pepi Slavov (a famous Bulgaria jazzman, member of Jazz Focus 65 and leader of the Free Sailing Band) had lined up a band. Before I left for Japan he asked me to write a piece and so I wrote A Girl's Lament for just two days.”

The competition in Japan was in 1977, organized by Yamaha Foundation. More than 1700 works were submitted to it. Ivan Staykov sent a demo of the song Once Again with music, lyrics and arrangement by him. It was sung by Mimi Nikolova. The song was short-listed for the final. Staykov has written soundtracks to a few very successful Bulgarian movies - A Gentleman for One Day, The Double, All for Love and more. He is holder of Cyril and Methodius Order, First Class.

English Daniela Konstantinova 

The audio contains the following works by Ivan Staykov:

1. Po Ikindiya (Late Afternoon Mood) in the rendition of the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band, conductor Villy Kazassiyan, soloist Gencho Vartovski (trumpet)

2. Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fire, Bulgarian National Radio Big Band, conductor Villy Kazassiyan

3. The Mistake, Bulgarian National Radio Big Band, conductor Villy Kazassiyan, soloist Dancho Kapitanov (trumpet)

4. A fragment from Rhapsody in 7