Hristo Krotev

HRISTO KROTEV is one of the leading contemporary Bulgarian choral conductors. He graduated from the Bulgarian State Conservatoire in Sofia (today the "Prof. P. Vladigerov" National Music Academy ) with the highest diploma of the class of 1988. He studied "Choral Conducting" in the class of prof. Georgi Robev and "Composition" in the class of prof. Alexander Raichev. In 2000, after a successful thesis defense, he got a PhD. In 2005 the rank “Associate Professor of Music” was conferred to him, in 2012 – “Full Professor of Music”. at the American University in Bulgaria.

After his graduation Prof. Krotev has been working in Blagoevgrad with various choirs: the Orpheus Male Choir (performed over 150 concerts), the American University in Bulgaria (AUB) Mixed Choir (performed over 250 concerts), the City Children's Choir at the N. Y. Vaptsarov Community center- 1866 (over 150 concerts).

With the choirs he leads, he won number of Laureate degrees and prizes from many international choir competitions and festivals in Europe - Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, North Macedonia, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Since 2000 he initiated establishment of the International Festival “Meeting of Student Choirs”, which constant Director is by now. The festival is biannual and takes place in AUBG.

Prof. Dr. Hristo Krotev has been a member of international juries at a number of choral festivals and competitions in Europe. He has conducted master classes in Bulgaria, Norway, Russia and Slovakia.

He has recorded for Bulgarian National Radio, Bulgarian National Television, Radio Blagoevgrad and abroad.

Prof. Krotev writes vocal music (choral and solo), piano music, etc. He is the author of 2 scholarly monographs and more than 20 publications at home and abroad.

He is the only Bulgarian which name is included in „Хоровая энциклопедия“(Choral Encyclopedia) Russia.