Lyubomir denev graduated from the National Academy of Music, the capital. He studied orchestral conducting with Professor Konstantin Iliev. Lyubomir denev has led all the big symphony orchestras in Bulgaria. He was the State Music Theatre’s conductor for over ten years. He has been a musician freelancer since 1986. The composer describes himself as a “music nomad” who is constantly changing genres. Denev says, “I feel like a link in an enormous chain, part and parcel of long traditions.” This tradition is kept alive by Denev as a composer and performer. This is my identity. One could see elements of great Bulgarian composers in my early works. Slowly, an artist develops their own style. An artist’s style can be influenced by many influences until he or she reaches that point. Pop, jazz, and musicals are all my genres. I also compose choral, chamber, and symphonic music. My style features improvisation, which is used in sonatas as well as choral songs. Because I studied percussions under Prof. Dobri Paliev, I am familiar with the peculiarities of Bulgarian folklore as well as its metro rhythmic patterns. My solo and chamber work is viewed as more tolerable by some of my colleagues. This is due to my theatre and musical experience. I have 11 stage pieces, which includes opera and ballet. Lyubomir denev is the author of Tomorrow At Ten, a first-ever musical about Bulgarian rock. The New Verdi Theatre, Cairo, Egypt was inaugurated by his opera Love’s Labour’s Won. In 1993, his musical The Law of the Jungle premiered at Paris’s St Denis University Centre. Now, we present A Song of Bagira the Panther (The Law of the Jungle) in the interpretation of Olga Mihailova–Dinova. Lyubomir denev is a jazz pianist who is well-known in Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. He is a versatile musician who plays in various formations and creates jazz improvisations. Next, we will listen to a jazz improvisation by George Friedrich Handel. The premiere of The Salvation, an international project featuring Lyubomir denev will be shown to German viewers next year. “In 2009-2010, I was invited to Villa Concordia International Art House (Bamberg) to participate in an international project. We were able to create a German-Bulgarian project that would help rescue Bulgarian Jews from World War II. This was made possible with the support of Bavaria’s Culture Ministry. The Salvation was the first project to address this topic. It is now of particular interest to artists today. It is a magnificent work for singers, actors, and orchestra. It’s been called “passion”. The Berlin premiere will be held in October 2012. We are currently working on a program for the Plovdiv jazz nights festival. The cycle Aphorisms will be offered to a jazz trio.
