Until 2020, the Composition and Conducting departments functioned as separate academic structures.
The history of professional conducting in Bulgaria began in the second half of the 19th c. when a series of talented musicians gathered and conducted the first choirs in the country. With their skill as composers and conductors, members of the so-called First Generation of Bulgarian composers – Emanuil Manolov, graduate of the Moscow Synodal School and the Moscow Conservatory, Panayot Pipkov and Master Georgi Atanasov, graduates of the Milan Conservatory, Alexander Krastev, graduate of the Zagreb Conservatory, Dobri Hristov and Angel Bukoreshtliev, who studied in Prague; as well as many other educated and gifted musicians laid the foundations for developing the professional musical scene in Bulgaria. In the first half of the 20th c., many musicians worked in the recently established orchestras and opera theatres. In 1928, Sasha Popov created the Academic Symphony Orchestra (ASO) within the Academy of Music, thus setting in motion the development of professional symphonic music in Bulgaria.
The headfast progress soon led to serious demand for professionally trained conductors in the country. In 1943, Marin Goleminov set up a specialized course in orchestra conducting within the Academy. This course served as the basis for the first class in orchestra conducting, led by the prominent opera conductor Prof. Asen Dimitrov.
The names of two other musicians, alongside that of Prof. Asen Dimitrov, are crucial for the history of the Opera and Symphony Conducting course – those of Prof. Vladi Simeonov and Prof. Konstantin Iliev – a visionary innovator who raised the level of academic training in orchestra conducting to correspond to the creative pursuits in European music in the second half of the 20th c. Their legacy was carried on by Acad. Vasil Kazandzhiev, who was head of the Opera and Symphonic Conducting Department between 1988 and 2004.
Practical training is crucial for the students of Conducting at the Academy and in 1955, Prof. Asen Dimitrov and Prof. Vladi Simeonov created the first Student Symphonic Orchestra called ASO after Sasha Popov’s academic orchestra.
1951 marked the beginning of a new phase in academic conducting training, with Prof. Georgi Dimitrov creating the first class for choir conductors – a precursor for separating conducting in its own department later on.
The methodology of choral conducting teaching was created by Prof. Dimitar Ruskov. A graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, he introduced the Russian teaching system to Bulgaria, at the same time adapting it to the local needs and conditions.
Initially, Prof. Georgi Dimitrov worked with a choir comprising of students from both the singing and conducting courses. In 1955, a professional chamber choir was established for the needs of the students conductors – the choir was later named after Prof. Georgi Dimitrov.
The impressive achievements of the Bulgarian academic school in the sphere of choral conducting are due to the efforts of other notable choir conductors as well – Prof. Vasil Arnaudov, Prof. Georgi Robev, Prof. Samuil Vidas, Prof. Lilia Gyuleva, Prof. Anna Belcheva, Prof. Stoyan Kralev. A testament of their creative and academic dedication and talent is the great number of musicians working in Bulgaria and abroad, who were their students.
In addition to the two main creative branches within the department – Opera and Symphony Conducting and Choral Conducting, there is a course in Score Reading, which was created in 1944. The first course syllabus was created by professors Nikola Terziev and Nikolay Topuzov, Ph.D. Little is known of Nikola Terziev, and Nikolay Topuzov defended his doctoral thesis („Karl Reinecke – Beiträge zu seinem Leben und seiner Symphonik“) at the Philosophy Faculty of the University of Berlin in 1943.
The academic training in conducting includes a course in Vocal Staging (nowadays, Vocal Training and Choir Challenges), initially taught by Lazar Maximov.
In 1950, the first Composition course was created within the National Academy of Music. Its first professors were the prominent Bulgarian composers Pancho Vladigerov, Veselin Stoyanov, Marin Goleminov and Parashkev Hadzhiev. In 1965, the Composition Department was founded within the Bulgaria State Conservatory, and the first Head of Department was Prof. Alexander Raychev. The main objective of the training was the gradual and persistent mastering of the main composition forms and genres, based on their specific instrumental, vocal and orchestral realization. One of the most important elements in studying composition is working on creating a personal creative approach and style.
In 2020, the two separate departments – Composition and Conducting, were merged into one.
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CURRENT ACADEMIC STAFF
Opera and Symphony Conducting
Prof. Ivaylo Krinchev, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. Georgi Patrikov, Ph.D.
Prof. Deyan Pavlov, Ph.D.
Prof. Grigor Palikarov, Ph.D.
Choral Conducting
Prof. Adriana Blagoeva, Ph.D.
Prof. Theodora Pavlovich, Ph.D.
Prof. Virginia Atanasova, Sc.D.
Chief Assistant Georgi Elenkov, Ph.D.
Score Reading
Prof. Velislav Zaimov, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. Yavor Gochev, Ph.D.
Svetlin Hristov, part-time lecturer
Vocal Training and Choir Challenges
Assoc. Prof. Vanilia Kisyova, Ph.D.
Assistant Denitsa Kamburova, Ph.D.
Other courses
Chief Assistant Georgi Elenkov, Ph.D. – Choir Studies
Prof. Adriana Blagoeva, Ph.D. – Student Choir
Assoc. Prof. Vanilia Kisyova, Ph.D. – Student Choir
Assistant Denitsa Kamburova, Ph.D. – Student Choir
Evelina Kulinski, Ph.D. – Student Choir
Prof. Adriana Blagoeva – Methodology of Choral Conducting Teaching
Prof. Virginia Atanasova, Sc.D. – Study of Style and Conductor’s Interpretation
Prof. Theodora Pavlovich, Ph.D. – Choral Literature
Prof. Momchil Georgiev, Ph.D. – Musical Industries Management
Prof. Ivaylo Krinchev, Ph.D. – Opera Practice
Deyan Pavlov, Ph.D. – Opera Practice
Grigor Palikarov, Ph.D. – Opera Practice
Chief Assistant Georgi Elenkov, Ph.D. – Church Music and Liturgical Practices
Composition
Prof. Velislav Zaimov, Ph.D.
Prof. Atanas Atanasov, Ph.D.
Prof. Krassimir Taskov, Ph.D.
Prof. Andrey Diamandiev, Ph.D.
Accompanists
Kapka Naydenova
Kristiana Abrasheva, Ph.D.
Zornitsa Getova
Magdalena Vodenicharova
Rumen Tsanov
Svetlin Hristov, part-time accompanist
Simon Pavlov, part-time accompanist
Blagovesta Angelova, Ph.D., part-time accompanist
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FORMER ACADEMIC STAFF
Opera and Symphony Conducting
Acad. Marin Goleminov (1908 – 2000)
Prof. Asen Dimitrov (1894 – 1960)
Prof. Vladi Simeonov (1912 – 1990)
Prof. Konstantin Iliev (1924 – 1988)
Dobrin Petkov (1923 – 1987)
Dragomir Nenov (1927 – 2016), part-time lecturer
Emil Karamanov (1920 – 1991), part-time lecturer
Assoc. Prof. Lyuben Lilkov (1919 – 1967)
Prof. Ivan Marinov (1928 – 2003)
Dimitar Manolov (1940 – 1998)
Assoc. Prof. Atanas Varadinov (1959 – 2016)
Prof. Ivan Bakalov, Sc.D.
Acad. Vasil Kazandzhiev
Prof. Plamen Dzhurov
Choral Conducting
Prof. Georgi Dimitrov (1904 – 1979)
Prof. Dimitar Ruskov (1925 – 2010)
Dimitar Goncharov (1907 – 1957), part-time lecturer
Asen Zhablenski (1898 – 1972), part-time lecturer
Nikola Bochev (1916 – ?)
Prof. Vasil Arnaudov (1933 – 1991)
Prof. Georgi Robev (1934 – 2002)
Prof. Samuil Vidas (1924 – 1984)
Prof. Stoyan Kralev (1929 – 2018)
Prof. Lilia Gyuleva (1933 – 2003)
Prof. Anna Belcheva (1934 – 2021)
Assoc. Prof. Krikor Chetinyan (1943 – 2018), part-time lecturer
Metodi Matakiev (1945 – 2010)
Prof. Krum Maximov
Assoc. Prof. extraordinarius Lyuba Pesheva
Tanya Nikleva, part-time lecturer
Score Reading
Nikola Terziev (1901 – 1928)
Nikolay Topuzov (1901 – 1971)
Prof. Lazar Nikolov (1922 – 2005)
Nikolina Terzieva (1925 – 2008), part-time lecturer
Prof. Stefan Ikonomov (1937 – 1994)
Krassimir Kyurkchiyski (1936 – 2011), part-time lecturer
Prof. Anna Belcheva (1934 – 2021)
Ivan Angelov, part-time lecturer
Acad. Vasil Kazandzhiev
Prof. Ivan Bakalov, Sc.D.
Prof. Krum Maximov
Prof. Yovcho Krushev
Vocal Staging
Lazar Maximov (1897 – 1969)
Prof. Ilka Popova
Assoc. Prof. extraordinarius Lyuba Pesheva
Church Music and Liturgical Practices
Prof. Miroslav Popsavov
Assoc. Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov, part-time lecturer
Composition
Prof. Pancho Vladigerov (1899 – 1978)
Prof. Veselin Stoyanov (1902 – 1969)
Acad. Marin Goleminov (1908 – 2000)
Prof. Parashkev Hadzhiev (1912 – 1992)
Prof. Alexander Raychev (1922 – 2003)
Prof. Zdravko Manolov (1925 – 1983)
Prof. Alexander Tanev (1928 – 1996)
Prof. Dimitar Tapkov (1929 – 2011)
Prof. Tsvetan Tsvetanov (1931 – 1982)
Prof. Pencho Stoyanov, Sc.D. (1931 – 2020)
Prof. Bozhidar Abrashev (1936 – 2006)
Prof. Mihail Pekov
Prof. Georgi Kostov
Prof. Alexander Tekeliev
Prof. Filip Pavlov, Sc.D.
Prof. Yovcho Krushev
Accompanists
Nikolay Topuzov
Faustina Ivanova
Anastasia Chalakova
Milcho Stefanov
Totyu Lazarov
Elena Lazarova
Stoyanka Slavova
Prof. Bogdana Popova
Maya Shangova
Violeta Petrova
Prof. Rostislav Yovchev, Ph.D.
Tanya Pavlovich
Pavlina Radoslavova
Adorea Bozhinova
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HEADS OF THE CONDUCTING DEPARTMENT
Prof. Asen Dimitrov (1894 – 1960)
Prof. Georgi Dimitrov (1904 – 1979)
Prof. Dimitar Ruskov (1925 – 2010)
Prof. Stoyan Kralev (1929 – 2018)
Prof. Lilia Gyuleva (1933 – 2003)
Prof. Krum Maximov
Prof. Miroslav Popsavov
Prof. Adriana Blagoeva, Ph.D.
Prof. Theodora Pavlovich, Ph.D.
HEADS OF THE COMPOSITION DEPARTMENT
Prof. Alexander Raychev (1922 – 2003)
Prof. Parashkev Hadzhiev (1912 – 1992)
Prof. Alexander Tanev (1928 – 1996)
Prof. Alexander Tekeliev
Prof. Krassimir Taskov, Ph.D.