Antoni Donchev

Antoni Kirilov Donchev is a Bulgarian composer and pianist. He was born in Sofia on February 5, 1959. He graduated School of Music and Music Academy in Sofia in specialty " Piano " in the classes of Professor Mara Petkova and professor Bogomil Starshenov . Being still student, he debuted as a pianist of jazz -matches in Sofia in 1978. In the 1980th he has played in the quartet "Focus". In 1985, with Hristo Yotzov he created " Acoustic Version ", which established itself as a leading jazz band in Bulgaria . They were awarded a number of prizes: First prize in Oelaart, Belgium (1985); Grand Prize in Leverkusen , Germany (1986). In 1986 he was proclaimed as one of the promising young jazz musicians of Europe. In 1987 - 1989 he has taught at the Music Academy in Sofia. There are many his performances as a jazz musician: participation in jazz meetings in Bansko and Sozopol ; concerts with Milcho Leviev and Anatoliy Vapirov ; project festivals in Thessaloniki and Varna; records with Petar Ralchev (album "Folk Jazz Band", 1988); records with the Greek singer Alexia (album "Classics", 1996); records with Yildiz Ibrahimova. Since 1992 he wrote music for productions in Drama Theater "Sofia" , First Private Theatre "La Strada" and others. He has a fruitful collaboration with director Teddy Moskov , for whose productions Donchev created music: "Some can, some not"; "The nicest village" (prize for music "Golden Dolphin", 1986, 1988); TV production " The Street "; "Swan Song" (Dusseldorf , 1986); "Makbyu" ( Bremen , 1996); "Home number 13" and "Blau in Blau" ("Talia Theater", Hamburg , 1997, 1998). Antoni Donchev has written music for the films " Running Dog ", " The Love Summer of a Schlep ", " Emilia's Friends ," " Wagner " and also for performances of puppet theater . He is the son of the composer Kiril Donchev.