Alexander Somov is a wonderful Bulgarian instrumentalist and skilled lecturer who placed among the most popular young Bulgarian musicians. We won’t be wrong if we say that Alexander is among the most-favorite “radio children”, because he made his first recordings for the Bulgarian National Radio music archives as a teenager and his cooperation with the BNR Symphony Orchestra continues. In 2006 he became a professor at the Strasbourg Conservatory and took up the position of Violoncelle Super Soliste of theStrasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra. Earlier he was the Principal cellist of Northern Sinfonia from 2000 to 2006. He has regularly been invited as guest-principal with theLondon Philharmonic, the Scottish Chamber, etc. He tours Europe, Japan and China as well. Somov has solo recordings for Naxos and Gega New label and made a series of recordings for the music archives of BBC Radio, Polish Radio and Radio Valencia.

"I owe a lot to my teachers Rusi Dragnev and Stefan Runevski. I started my music education in the classes of Rusi Dragnev. I studied in the classes of Stefan Runevski for twelve years at the National School of Music Luybomir Pipkov." Alexander Somov was part of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama between 1995 and 2000 and was the first student from Eastern Europe who became a recipient of the Gold Medal ofGuildhall School of Music and Drama. He studied there in the classes of Professor Stefan Popov. 

Alexander’s mother pianist Bogdana Popova had a great contribution to his development as a professional musician. Alexander and Bogdana held hundreds of concerts together and made dozens of recordings. Alexander is a laureate of many prestigious music awards. Here is what he told Radio Bulgaria:

“The audience, the concert performance and the live experience are my biggest awards. Otherwise, I received plenty of music awards – theGold Medal of theGuildhall School of Music and Dramaand several first prizes from music contests. I view these awards as necessary steps in the music career of every musician. As I said the concerts and the music tours, as well as the people’s attitude and reactions after each performance on stage matter the most.The most important moments of my career were in Bulgaria. I owe an awful lot to the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra. I have been playing with this orchestra for twenty five years now. I always come back here with many warm feelings and meet with my colleagues. I know some of them since the time I made my first steps with the radio orchestra. Of course my job at the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra is extremely inspiring as well. Each orchestra has revealed to me a different aspect of ensemble performance and has enriched my music experience. I am happy to have the chance and the pleasure to play along with such wonderful conductors. Each master class and every musician I played with influences my music career.”

Alaxander Somov has held many concerts for cello and orchestra. However, he has performed a series of chamber pieces together with many popular musicians. “One can learn a lot from chamber music and discover things he can learn about himself and the others in the frames of a chamber ensemble only.”

“In the past five to six years I have been able to offer a very rare music repertoire. One enriches his own knowledge, but also lives with the hope that he would pass that knowledge to other people as well. The main pieces of the music repertoire of each instrumentalist are important. However, there are many other wonderful pieces, although they are less popular and I try to include them in my music programme. I also like being a lecturer. I do not only teach the technical features of the music instrument. The technical features of the instrument are important, but the human side of art is the basis. When you lecture you must give part of your soul to others.”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov