A brief look at Lyubomir Denev’s CV shows just how solid his education is. He graduated percussion at the music school in Sofia with prominent composer and pedagogue Dobri Paliev. While he was still at school he played with the Pioneer Philharmonic – a youth orchestra, whose leader today is Lyubomir Denev’s own son. His tutors in composition were Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Parashkev Hadjiev, in conducting – Konstantin Iliev. He then went on to specialize with renowned musicians. His music is performed in many countries of Europe, in Mexico, India, Canada, Japan, USA, China, Egypt and elsewhere. CDs of his works have been released in Bulgaria, Italy, USA… He has won awards at dozens of competitions in this country and abroad. He has conducted all leading Bulgarian orchestras. But on 20 September he will have a “first rendezvous” that he has been planning for a long time.

“It will be a grand occasion for me. I am 65 and the time has come to stand before the Sofia Philharmonic as conductor. I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity. Perhaps I am a little jealous as a composer, I tend to try to show how I myself see my work and only then do I offer it to my colleagues for interpretation. I shall open the programme with Concerto Nostalgico, a work awarded at the competition of the Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra in 2009, when it was performed by that elite orchestra. Now it will be played by the string section of the Sofia Philharmonic. The next piece is called Sofia Nights and it also won an award – at the International Competition for Composition of Symphonic Work “7/8” in 2013. Maria Martinova – a compelling musician with a successful career in Western Europe – will be soloist. She has a good grasp of modern music, of the stylistics of jazz. What I had in mind while I was writing Sofia Nights was something along the lines of Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin with the same function in an orchestra’s repertoire.”

Lyubomir Denev has included one work never before performed to an audience in Sofia.

“It is called Queen’s Hits rock symphony,’ he explains. “Some time ago conductor Nayden Todorov commissioned me to compose a work for the Rousse Opera house, it has been performed in Rousse and in Plovdiv. It is a three-part cycle throughout which I have spaced out 11 musical themes by Queen. The rock pieces were adapted for symphony orchestra. To live up to the style but also to reach out to a younger audience, I included guitar – with guitar soloist Vassil Belezhkov - bass guitar and drums. Belezhkov is guitarist of the band Episode but he is also a gifted composer. People who have been following my musical career know that I work in several different genres – that is why the entire concert is constructed as a crossover project.”

It should be noted that Lyubomir Denev is known most of all as a jazz pianist. He often performs with his Lyubomir Denev Quartet or as a duo with different musicians. He has performed on many and prestigious European stages. Lyubomir Denev is author of the first Bulgarian rock musical – Tomorrow at 10, he has composed several other works in the same genre, among them Beatles suite for piano, children’s choir and orchestra. He is also author of dozens of chamber works, vocal pieces, songs for children, jazz compositions

“I do the things that appeal to me, I work in the genres I find interesting and I am not afraid of blending different styles,” Lyubomir Denev says.

The audio file features the pieces:

- Biography of a Flower;

- Sofia Nights;

- Beatles suite.

English version:  Milena Daynova