Prof. Elitsa Neshevska, Ph.D.
Head of Department
In 1921, when the State School of Music was established, two renowned opera singers and founders of the Opera Society were invited to teach singing – Ivan Vulpe and Dimitar Popivanov. They were soon awarded the academic title of “Professor” for their creative and pedagogical achievements. Later on, other successful singers were also invited to teach at the State Academy of Music, and proved to be excellent vocal instructors – Lyudmila Prokopova, Anna Todorova, Mara Marinova-Cibulka, Tsvetana Dyakovich, Elena Angelova-Orukin, Petar Raychev. With time and new additions to the teaching body, the main focus of vocal training was using the achievements of vocal education around the world and uniting the professors’ ideas around the principle physio-acoustic and aesthetic basics, thus creating a recognizable Bulgarian singing school. Some of the most notable professors include Prof. Hristo Brumbarov, Prof. Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin, Prof. Iliya Yosifov, Prof. Lyubomir Pipkov.
Students at the Classical Singing Department are trained in the principles of “Belcanto singing” and work to develop a basic repertoire. The young singers can learn various genres within classical singing. In addition to opera pieces, they perform different vocal works by Bulgarian and world composers. One of the main classes is Chamber Singing, and was created by the acclaimed Bulgarian composer Lyubomir Pipkov. The syllabus includes mainly chamber pieces – solo songs for voice and piano from all historical periods and all genres, chamber-vocal ensembles, as well as parts of various cantata and oratorio works.
In 1948, Pipkov was appointed visiting professor in Vocal Ensembles, as the course was called at the time. Chamber music instruction already had its traditions in Bulgaria, however. Vocal teachers such as Elena Orukin, Lyudmila Prokopova, Mara Marinova-Cibulka had significant performers’ experience as chamber singers, as well as interest in teaching the specifics to young students.
Later on, new courses were introduced in the department, offering the students of opera singing the opportunity to broaden their skills, knowledge and expertise. One of the newly-introduced courses was Phonology, taught by Dr Ivan Maximov, Ph.D., author of the course books “Basics of Phoniatrics” (1983) and “Vocal Phonology” (1993).
Some of the distinguished alumni of the Academy in the 1960s and 1970s were renowned opera singers like Stefka Evstatieva, Hristina Angelakova, Kaludi Kaludov, Stefka Mineva, Boyko Tsvetanov, Rumen Doykov, Dimitar Stanchev and many others.
In recent years, new musicians with remarkable achievements on the European and world stages continue to develop the traditions of the Bulgarian singing school – like Veselina Kazarova, Vladimir Stoyanov, Darina Takova, Tsvetelina Vasileva, Nadezhda Krasteva, Kamen Chanev, Kiril Manolov, Mariana Pencheva, Radostia Nikolaeva, Gabriela Georgieva.
Students in the Classical Singing programme get the opportunity to take part in concerts and in the productions of the Student Musical Theatre, which allows them to work on their stage presence. The National Academy of Music has an extremely fruitful cooperation with the National Opera and Ballet, the National Musical Theatre, The opera theatres in Stara Zagora and Burgas, and with many other opera theatres throughout Bulgaria, where students of the Academy are often invited to perform. Participation in the academic contests organized by the Faculty, and in various national and international singing competitions are another excellent opportunity for students to grow and develop their skills and performance.
The achievement of both professors and students of the Vocal Faculty are a direct result of the thoughtfully created methodology of work, of the serious efforts and high expectations in teaching classical singing at the National Academy of Music.
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CURRENT ACADEMIC STAFF
Classical Singing
Prof. Ilka Popova
Prof. Mila Dyulgerova-Krastnikova
Prof. Niko Isakov
Prof. Svilen Raychev, Ph.D.
Prof. Margarita Basnarova-Atanasova, Ph.D.
Prof. Maria Belcheva, Ph.D.
Prof. Ivanka Ninova-Metanieva, Ph.D.
Prof. Velizara Karayankova, Ph.D.
Prof. Elitsa Neshevska, Ph.D.
Prof. Nikolay Motsov, Ph.D.
Chief Assistant Nona Krastnikova, Ph.D.
Assistant Gabriela Georgieva
Assistant Mariana Pencheva
Chamber Singing
Prof. Boryana Lambreva, Ph.D.
Prof. Galina Apostolova, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. Elena Karaliyska-Trapkova, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. Ermila Sekulinova-Schweizer, Ph.D.
Chief Assistant Emelina Gorcheva, Ph.D.
Phonology
Dr. Borimir Furnadzhiev
Accompanists
Vasilena Atanasova
Viviana Grudanska
Ziedite Runkule
Lilia Zhekova
Miroslav Georgiev
Svetlana Spasova
Stiliyana Ivanova
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FORMER ACADEMIC STAFF
Classical and Chamber Singing
Dimitar Popivanov (1874 – 1954)
Prof. Ivan Vulpe (1876 – 1929)
Stefan Makedonski (1885 – 1952)
Prof. Petar Raychev (1887 – 1960)
Prof. Lyudmila Prokopova (1888 – 1959)
Prof. Hristina Morfova (1889 – 1936)
Prof. Mara Marinova-Cibulka (1891 – 1977)
Prof. Anna Todorova (1892 – 1972)
Prof. Penka Toromanova (1892 – 1961)
Prof. Elena Angelova-Orukin (1895 – 1971)
Prof. Mihail Popov (1899 – 1978)
Sia Voynikova (1901 – 1961)
Prof. Lyubomir Pipkov (1904 – 1974)
Prof. Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin (1905 – 1977)
Prof. Hristo Brambarov (1907 – 1974)
Assoc. Prof. Genoveva Spisarevska (1907 – 1982)
Prof. Tsvetana Dyakovich (1908 – 1990)
Prof. Iliya Yosifov (1912 – 1993)
Prof. Rayna Mihailova (1915 – 2008)
Prof. Lilyana Zhablenska (1918 – 2006)
Prof. Elena Kiselova (1920 – 2014)
Prof. Matilda Pinkas (1921 – 2016)
Elena Mindizova (1922 – 2011)
Prof. Sili Brachkova (1923 – 2015)
Prof. Sima Ivanova (1923 – 2004)
Milka Dragneva (1925 – 2013)
Prof. Konstantin Karapetrov (1930 – 2011)
Georgi Vachev, Ph.D.
Maria Stoyanova
Prof. Asen Selimski
Prof. Lilyana Stefanova
Prof. Chavdar Hadzhiev (1931 – 2006)
Assoc. Prof. Nikola Vasilev (1932 – 2009)
Prof. Resa Koleva (1934 – 2020)
Prof. Rusko Ruskov (1934 – 2015)
Assoc. Prof. Tsvetanka Petrova-Gerdzhikova
Assoc. Prof. Sabin Markov (1935 – 1993)
Assoc. Prof. Konstanza Vachkova (1935 – 2018)
Reni Penkova, part-time lecturer
Assoc. Prof. Lyudmila Hadzhieva (1947 – 2013)
Prof. Blagovesta Karnobatlova-Dobreva
Neli Bozhkova, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. Irena Brambarova
Assco. Prof. Hristina Angelakova (1944 – 2018)
Prof. Mayer Frank
Prof. Jasmina Kostova
Prof. Blagovesta Konstantinova
Blagovesta Angelova, Ph.D., part-time lecturer
Phonology
Prof. Dr. Ivan Maximov (1913 – 1979)
Accompanists
Asen Naydenov
Atanas Atanasov
Vera Baeva
Lilyana Baynova
Elena Vezneva
Anna Venkova
Vera Drenkova
Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin
Petar Shtabekov
Georgi Stefanov
Georgeta Woltz
Katya Valeva
Mayda Papazyan
Kiril Draynovski
Tamara Zavadovska
Mara Ignatova
Elena Manova
Elena Mindizova
Tsvetanka Petrova-Gerdzhikova
Svetlana Maximova
Lyudmila Drumeva
Lili Minchevska
Belina Selimska
Blagovesta Konstantinova
Bozhidara Stefanova
Bozhidarka Tomova
Anrieta Popova
Natalia Beleva
Ekaterina Dimitrova
Adriana Kotseva
Meglena Markova
Miglena Kamenova
Martin Bachvarov
Svetoslav Lazarov
Maria Dobreva
Desislava Shtereva
Desislava Popova
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HEADS OF THE DEPARTMENT
Prof. Tsvetana Dyakovich (1908 – 1990)
Prof. Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin (1905 – 1977)
Prof. Lilyana Zhablenska (1918 – 2006)
Prof. Elena Kiselova (1920 – 2014)
Prof. Lilyana Stefanova
Prof. Konstantin Karapetrov (1930 – 2011)
Prof. Ilka Popova
Prof. Jasmina Kostova
Prof. Niko Isakov
Prof. Svilen Raychev, Ph.D.
Prof. Boryana Lambreva, Ph.D.