TEACHING STAFF ARCHIVE Folk Seminar 2011

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2011

Kaval

Temelko Ivanov was born in the city of Burgas in 1976, and has been playing kaval since he was 12 years old. Temelko attended the Kotel Music High School from 1990 to 1995, after which he was accepted at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv. The following year he joined Ensemble Trakia. Temelko completed his degree at the Academy in Conducting Folk Orchestras, and Music Pedagogy. His mentors and teachers were Georgi Penev and Lyuben Dossev. Today, Temelko continues to work at Ensemble Trakia and is mainly focusing on recording music and teaching younger students.

Gaida

Ivan Georgiev "Balki" (Thracian gaida & Rhodope gaida) was born in Burgas, Bulgaria, in 1976. He graduated from the specialist High School of Folk Music "Filip Kutev" in 1995 and went on to graduate from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv in 1999, having specialised in the bagpipe and orchestral conducting. He now teaches there and performs with the Academy's National Representative Orchestra.
He has toured all over the world with the renowned Bulgarian women's choir "The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices" and as accompanist to the vocal quartet "Slavei". As a solo performer he has awed concert hall audiences in Scotland and Northern Ireland with his outstanding presence and musicianship.

Gûdulka

Todor Enchev Bakoev was born in the town of Sliven in 1982. After his graduation from the Filip Kutev Music High School in Kotel in 2001, he was accepted at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv where he began to establish his musical career. Before he finished his first year at the Academy, Todor took a position with the Academy folk orchestra. After that, he became a part of the Instrumental Quintet of the Academy and traveled a great deal throughout Bulgaria and abroad with that group. In 2006, Todor received the Honorary Seal of the President of the Republic. He obtained a Master’s degree in Instrumental Art and retained a permanent position with the Academy's folk orchestra.

Tambura

Vladimir Vladimirov was born in Stara Zagora, Thrace, in 1975. He graduated as a tambura major from the Filip Kutev Music High School in Kotel. In 2000, he completed his Bachelor’s degree at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv. Vladimir began teaching tambura part-time in 2002; he has been working as a teaching assistant at the Academy since 2004.

Tûpan

Assen Musov is a Plovdiv native. Born in 1939, Assen began his folk career as a dancer and drum player (tûpan and tarambuka/dumbek) in 1959 at the Ensemble of the Army, in Sofia. From 1975 to 1985, Assen performed with Ensemble Trakia in Plovdiv. Today, Assen plays with the newly founded Ensemble Bûlgare. He has also played with the most popular groups in the Thracian region, and toured with the famous choir, The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices, throughout Europe, India, Mexico, Columbia, Iran, Algeria and many other countries. Assen is equally well known for his virtuoso tupan playing and for his fun-loving and outgoing personality.

Violin

Ivan Paskalev began studying music in 1977 and graduated from the Shiroka Lûka Music High school. Since 1985, he has researched and performed Bulgarian and pan-Balkan folk music on his violin. Ivan has played violin with many of Bulgaria’s popular folk bands, including Rhodopi, Plam, and Ivo Papasov’s Trakia, and is a highly respected and sought out musician throughout Bulgaria. In 1997, Ivan took a position as a resident musician at the very successful music company, Payner Music, and has recorded with several other music studios as well. In 2000, Ivan founded and has since been the director of his own band Plovdiv.

Accordion

Georgi Zafirov Seymenski was born in 1971 in the city of Lom, Montana region, North Bulgaria. In 1977 he moved with his family to Plovdiv and started studying accordion at a music school for children. When he was in the 4th grade he started learning to play gûdulka. He graduated from the Music High School in Shiroka Lûka in 1990 and is now working towards his bachelor's degree at the Academy of Music and Dance Arts in Plovdiv; at both schools he has focused on playing gûdulka. While studying, Georgi has also been working as an accordionist with different music groups. He has toured with the folk group "Lyra" both inside Bulgaria and abroad. He has taught accordion at a folk music workshop in Neuchateau, Belgium. From 1997 to 2008, Georgi was the accordionist for the folk dance ensemble "Iglika".

Clarinet

Nikola Iliev from Konush, in Thrace, is one of the most famous Bulgarian clarinetists. Trained at the Music Academy in Plovdiv, he studied under the well-known Petko Radev, and later received a Master's Dergee in Sofia from the Sofia Conservatory of Music. Founder of Konushenska Grupa, one of the most popular, wedding bands in Bulgaria, he has been playing for weddings and recording studios for over 35 years and has toured extensively throughout Europe and appeared countless times on Bulgarian Television. A master of traditional and modern Bulgarian instrumental folk music, he is one of the founding pioneers of the contemporary wedding band style.

Instrument Program Coordinator: Prof. Lyuben Dossev

Lyuben Dossev was born in Pleven, North Bulgaria, in 1953. Following in the footsteps of his father Tsvetan Dossev, the kaval player for Severnyashki Ensemble, Lyuben started to play the kaval as a small child. As early as the 7th grade, he was recruited by youth folk camps to teach kaval to younger children. After Lyuben graduated from the Pleven Music High School, he moved to Plovdiv to attend the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts. During this time, he was one of the founders of the vocational music high school in the town of Shiroka Lûka in the Rhodope mountains, the first of its kind in Bulgaria. Lyuben received his Bachelor’s degree from the Academy and has been teaching there ever since; he later went on to earn his Doctorate degree, also from the Academy. Lyuben has taught nearly all of the current generation of Bulgaria’s most well-known kaval players and has been a mentor for many young musicians, as well as colleagues at the Academy. In 2004, Lyuben was elected Dean of the Department of Music Folklore, Choreography and Arts, at the Academy. For the past 10 years, he has taught numerous times at folk camps in the U.S. and is proud to be the Program Director for the Bulgarian Folk Music & Dance Seminar again this year.

Late in 2008, Lyuben Dossev became Bulgaria's first kaval player to achieve full professorship and was elected Vice Rector of the Music Academy.

Singing Classes

Dance Classes

The dance program this year offers a unique opportunity to experience the similarities and subtle differences in the dance traditions of the Stara Planina, the "Old Mountain" or "Balkan range," which runs from west to east across Bulgaria and takes in many of the ethnographic regions of the country. Dance teachers and musicians from towns and villages in different parts of the Stara Planina will visit the seminar during the week, and on Saturday a survey of Bulgarian folk dance will be offered. Everyone is welcome to join the dance classes and no prior dancing experience is required.

• Razvitie Cultural Center, village of Ribaritsa, Teteven municipality, Lovech region (NORTH BULGARIA)

  The dance ensemble at the Razvitie Cultural Center was founded in 1942. Its objective is to preserve the authenticity of all the local Bulgarian horos. The group has won many national and international contests. In 2009 it won the Big Prize at the Festival of Authentic Costumes and Traditions in the "Preservation of Folklore" category. The dance ensemble performs regularly at the Koprivshtitsa Folklore Festival. Two of the best dancers from the Cultural Center's dance group will teach at the Seminar, accompanied by local musicians.

  

• Totka Shandurkova Ensemble for Authentic Folklore at the Gabrovo Cultural Center, city of Gabrovo, Gabrovo region (NORTH BULGARIA)

  During the 30 years of its existence, the Totka Shandurkova Ensemble for Authentic Folklore, whose goal is to preserve and present indigenous dances, customs and rituals of the Gabrovo region, has won many national and international prizes for the authenticity of its repertoire. The ensemble always participates at the national festivals at Koprivshtitsa and Baban. It is frequently invited to perform in regional events at the Etûr Ethnographic Complex, where it presents such pieces as Lazarovden, Enyovden, a Bulgarian Wedding Celebration, and a Bulgarian Crafts Fair. At numerous folklore events throughout the country the group most often performs the suite, "Songs and Dances from the Gabrovo Region," which includes the horos Rachovata, Lyava rûchenitsa, Eskiskata, Denyovata, and others which are specific only to North Bulgaria and the Gabrovo region. The ensemble's repertoire also includes dances and songs from areas around Sevlievo, Dryanovo and Teteven, providing a full spectrum of the indigenous dance art of the region. The group currently consists of 26 people between 25 and 78 years of age. Two of the best dancers from the center's dance group will teach at the Seminar, accompanied by local musicians.

  

• Sava Dobroplodni Cultural Center, village of Gabrovnitsa, Svoge municipality, Sofia Region (SHOPLUK)

  Since its founding in 1956, the Sava Dobroplodni Cultural Center has been the place where people of the village gather to celebrate traditional Bulgarian holidays such as Christmas, New Year's Eve, March 3rd (Liberation Day), St. Lazarus' Day, and the local sûbor. The Cultural Center is where experience and knowledge is passed on from one generation to the next. The authentic folklore preserved by the village attracts experts and scholars, and the village is proud that the young generation is interested in and loves its folklore. The village lies up in the mountains, away from the railroad line, and transportation is difficult, but members of the Cultural Center's adult and children's dance ensembles and theater company are happy to accept any invitation to perform. The Cultural Center has won numerous prizes at the Koprivshtitsa national festival. Two of the best dancers from the Cultural Center's dance group will teach at the Seminar, accompanied by local musicians.

  

• Zornitsa Cultural Center, village of Nova Mahala, Nikolaevo municipality, Stara Zagora region (THRACE)

  Local dance traditions in the village have been handed down from generation to generation. Like other places, the ups and down of life have affected the activities of the Zornitsa Cultural Center. At times when there was a festival or sûbor, there was a permanent dance group able to take part; at other times the best dancers of the village were gathered for the specific event. The dance group of the cultural center has performed at Koprivshtitsa Festival since 1995, and has also taken part in many other folklore festivals around the country. The most important celebration in the village is Tsvetnitsa (Palm Sunday). On this day the village holds its traditional sûbor. The traditional musical instruments in the area are gaida and gûdulka and in the past, famous local gaida players played for the dancers; nowadays musicians from the region are invited. The village's permanent dance group now consists of 12 children. When local authentic folklore traditions are performed, however, older people are invited to take part.

  Dances from Nova Mahala will be presented by Nedko Nedev, who currently leads the dance group in the village. Under his guidance, the dance ensemble has won many prizes at various national festivals and competitions. Nedko was born in Stara Zagora in 1968 and finished high school in the same city. His career as dancer and choreographer started in 1978 when he joined the ensemble of the former Data Storage Devices Factory in Stara Zagora. In 1985 he became a member of the Zagore dance ensemble, where he eventually became a soloist. In 1997, Nedko changed careers but he has remained inseparably connected with dance folklore.

  

• Society of the Karakachani, Karlovo, Plovdiv region (THRACE)

  The Karakachani ("Sarakatsani" in Greek) were, until the mid-20th century, a nomadic people scattered across many parts of the Balkan Peninsula; today they live mainly in Greece, but there are some populations left in Bulgaria.

  The Society of the Karakachani in Karlovo endeavors to teach the ancient traditions and folklore, as well as the Greek language, to young people of their ethnic group, and to spread the knowledge of their culture. The dance group of the Society has taken part in many local, national and international festivals in Bulgaria and abroad, such as the annual gathering and kurban ritual for health dedicated to Sts. Konstantin and Helena, near Sopot, the annual national sûbor of the Karakachani in Bulgaria, the annual dance group festival Flamboura, the folklore festival at the town of Gebze, Turkey, gatherings and festivals in Greece, festivals of ethnic diversity in Plovdiv, and the Festival of the Rose in Karlovo; the group has performed on various TV shows. One of the pieces that the Society's ensemble performs is an "Engagement" ritual. Karakachani dances will be presented by Anastasia Cholakova and Kosta Sevov.

  

Dance Program Coordinator: Iliana Bozhanova, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Survey of Bulgarian Dance

Dances from various Bulgarian regions including review of favorite dances from previous Bulgarian Folk Music & Dance Seminars

Iliana Bozhanova was born into a family of musicians and singers in Galabovo, South Thrace. She graduated from the National School for Art Instructors and later completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Bulgarian Folk Dance and Choreography at Plovdiv’s Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts. At the age of 16, Iliana joined the folk dance ensemble Rûchenitsa in Plovdiv. Through this group, she had the opportunity to perform Bulgarian folk dances in other parts Bulgaria, as well as in Greece, Serbia, Poland, Belgium, Portugal, France, Italy, Holland, and Russia. In 1981, she became choreographer and artistic director of two children’s folk dance ensembles — Radost in the village of Yoakim Gruevo, and the ensemble of the Rosa Dimitrova Orphanage. Since October of 2004, Iliana has been the director and choreographer of Ensemble Voivodintsi, which has 100 dancers and singers who range in age from 5 to 76 years old. Throughout the years, Iliana has also worked with many ensembles in the Netherlands, Norway, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Switzerland and the U.S. In the United States, she is also well known as a dance teacher at dozens of folk dance clubs and camps, including EEFC East and West Coast Balkan Music & Dance Camps, Old World Music & Dance, Pinewoods, Mainewoods, Stockton, and others. She has lectured at many colleges and universities around the world. In addition to working as a dance teacher and choreographer, up to 2005, Iliana also worked as an architectural draftsperson. For more information, visit Iliana Bozhanova's web site.

Todor Vasilev Yankov (accordion) was born in 1962 in Plovdiv, but he grew up in the village of Dobralak in the Rhodope Mountains in a large family. His father, Vasil Yankov, was a well-known gaidar in the area. Todor began to play gaida, like his father, and then when he was 10 year old, he took up kaval. Soon after that he became an orphan and had no one to send him to study at Shiroka Lûka Music High School, which had been his dream. When he was 16, he discovered the accordion and began to teach himself to play. For many years he played with the Hisar folk orchestra at different holiday celebrations. He has been the accordionist for the following folk dance ensembles: Rûchenitsa, Hebar, Pûldin and now Voivodintsi. In 1980 he graduated from the Construction Trades High School in Plovdiv, where he studied electrical installation. He currently works as a machine operator in the Plastics division of Liebher Corporation.

Dance Program Teacher Assistant and Bulgarian/English Translator: Cathie Springer, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

Bulgarian Language Classes

Catherine Struse Springer was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, USA, and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. To support her various artistic endeavors, Cathie has worked as administrative staff at the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Wall Street investment banking firms, and various folk arts organizations. She is currently a free-lance gardener, and Editor of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America’s journal Sound Post. A 1981 graduate of the Bulgarian Folk Dance Program at the School for Teachers of Amateur Activities in Plovdiv, Cathie has been Director of the Bosilek Bulgarian Folk Dance Ensemble in New York for 28 of its 30 years. Cathie likes to use her language skills (Bulgarian, Norwegian and French, among others) as a way of bringing people together.

Cathie Springer and Iliana Bozhanova of the Folk Seminar staff.

NOTE: 2012 Schedule — subject to change