Pencho Stoyanov

Prof. Pencho Stoyanov (1931–2020) graduated from the Bulgarian State Conservatory (currently the National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”) in 1955 with a degree in composition from the class of Prof. P. Hadzhiev and Prof. P. Vladigerov. He specialized in the Moscow Conservatory – in composition with Aram Khachaturian and in theory of music with Prof. V. Protopopov, V. Zuckerman and S. Skrebkov. As a scholarship holder in Paris, he attended lectures by Tony Aubin and Messiaen. His teaching career in the State Academy of Music began in 1955, as an assistant in harmony and theory of music, and in 1956 – as an assistant in musical analysis. He became a professor in 1972 and earned a doctorate in theory of art in 1981. He has conducted masterclasses in composing in Germany (in 1989), South Korea (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996), Austria (1995). He has presented papers at symposia and science conferences in Germany (on account of the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin), France (Dijon), Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Russia, Yugoslavia, Greece, etc. A well-known music theorist and erudite and a professor in composing, P. Stoyanov has taught generations of prominent musical artists and musicologists. A large part of his work presents tendencies which are characteristic for Bulgarian music and imply a pronounced social commitment and an optimistic democratic pathos, as well as experiments in the area of the contemporary language of music. He is the author of: 5 symphonies, 3 symphonic poems, 3 overtures; a divertimento for string orchestra and other orchestral works; 2 string quartets, a piano quintet, 3 sonatas for violin and piano, piano works; 2 cycles of art songs and other songs; more than 350 choral songs. He has been a jury member in composing competitions in Austria, the Netherlands, Germany. His students are people of authority who teach in universities in the USA, South Korea, Germany, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece, Vietnam. He has won international composition awards in Poland (1955), France (1978), as well as national awards. Prof. Pencho Stoyanov is the author of numerous works in the theory of music, textbooks, articles.