Vassil Kazandjiev

Vassil Kazandjiev was born in 1934 in Ruse. He began composing at the age of ten. His first composition and conducting teachers were Konstantin Iliev and Dobrin Petkov. In 1957, Vassil Kazandjiev graduated from the State Academy of Music - in the composition class with Prof. Pancho Vladigerov and conducting with Prof. Vladi Simeonov. Laureate of the VI International Youth Festival in Moscow (1957) for “Symphonyetta” for large orchestra (chairman of the jury - D. Shostakovich).

Vassil Kazandjiev began his conducting career at the Sofia National Opera, where he worked for seven years, during which time he staged and conducted a number of Bulgarian and foreign operas and ballets.

In 1962, he founded the chamber ensemble “Sofia Soloists”, with which he performed with great success in our country and abroad for 15 years. Since 1978 he has been a conductor, and from 1985 to 1993 he was the Chief Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio. He is a welcome guest of many symphony orchestras in our country, touring with exceptional success in almost all European countries, the USA, Canada, Africa, Japan, South Korea, etc. His art has been recorded in many recordings by Bulgarian Radio, Balkanton, Harmonia Mundi (France), Kibaton (Japan) and other companies from different countries.

Vassil Kazandjiev combines high professionalism with a broad musical culture and developed creative intuition. Therefore, his interpretations of works by various authors, styles and eras are distinguished by depth, stylish authenticity and a sharp contemporary sensitivity.

One of the great names of contemporary musical creativity, a remarkable conductor and pedagogue, professor of orchestral conducting at the Pancho Vladigerov State Academy of Music and one of the most talented Bulgarian composers, Vassil Kazandjiev is a large-scale personality with a strong influence on generations of Bulgarian musicians. He is the author of a large number of symphonic and chamber works - eight symphonies, a number of sonatas and instrumental concertos, "Pictures from Bulgaria", "Living Icons", "Festive Music", "Apocalypse", "Illuminations", Symphony Concertante for saxophone, piano and orchestra, nine string quartets, a piano quintet, ballet music, etc., as well as much theater and film music. Characteristic features of his style are bright expression, a rich palette of timbres, artistry, philosophical depth and virtuoso compositional technique.

In 2005 he was elected a corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. On January 12, 2009, on the basis of Art. 9, para. 9 of the Regulations for the Election of Academicians (Full Members) and Corresponding Members (Corresponding Members) of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Governing Board of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences elected Corresponding Member Vassil Kazandjiev as an Academician in the category "Creators of Art". In 2015, Academician Vasil Kazandjiev was awarded the State Prize "St. Paisius of Hilendar".