One of the new series running at the City Mark Center in Sofia is aimed to present the music families of Bulgaria. The first concert in the series Parents & Children was on 15 November. The show presented theater music composed by Kiril Donchev. His music was performed by his sons, jazz musicians with careers of their own. Pianist Antony Donchev is a talented composer and author of arrangements and has in the recent years been leading as conductor the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band. His younger brother George Donchev is a leading double bass player who takes part in various jazz bands. On stage the brothersteamed up with percussionist Dimitar Semov.

Kiril Donchev has written soundtracks to a hundred or so feature and documentary films and to countless theater shows. For decades the composer was part of the creative crew of the Theater of the Bulgarian Army in Sofia, and he has also worked for the Ivan Vazov National Theater, Sofa Theater and others. In fact he has written music for most of Bulgaria's theaters but also to theater shows in Russia, Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

His son Antony Donchev explains that the idea of the show at City Mark Center is to feature a small fraction of Kiril Donchev's music. The concert revisited some songs and instrumental music that could no longer be heard once the theater shows have been off the playbill. Despite the opinion of the composer that theater music departs with the show, some of Kiril Donchev's works are still alive and have autonomous worth just like any good music.

English Daniela Konstantinova

Audio file: (two recordings from the National Jazz Meeting 2015 in Rousse)

· Soundtrack to the play Requiem for a Nun by William Faulkner, music by Kiril Donchev, in the rendition of Antony and George Donchev, percussions Borislav Petrov

· Rumba Bulgara by Kiril Donchev performed by Antony and George Donchev, percussions Borislav Petrov