Dear Reader,
On this occasion we want to introduce you to Nikolay Aleksiev, a Bulgarian composer, whose piano duet for four hands A Breeze from Bulgaria was performed by the Darina Piano Duo (Antonina Koleva-Lax and Alla Levit-Anderson), the winners of the Adult Piano Duet category at the 6th Piano Competition – Around the Globe Piano Music Festival 2019. At these unapparelled times that we experience due to the global pandemic and physical distancing as the new way of life, we understand that playing and performing live ensembles such as piano duets for 4 hands, is at the moment not possible. However, we believe that we will be able to relish creating music together again, in the not very distant future. Perhaps in the current situation, we can learn to use various digital innovations and online platforms in creating various ensembles and to rejoicing in making music together this way. We hope you will listen and enjoy the music of this stunning piece, which was masterly performed by the Darina Piano Duo. To listen to the music, follow the link at the end of the article.
For score please send us a request via our email at agpianomusicfestival@gmail.com
Extract from the article About ‘A Breeze from Bulgaria’ by Antonina Koleva-Lax
This outlook is shared by the composer of A Breeze from Bulgaria who tells us more about the piece and the inspiration behind it in the following note.
Listen to A Breeze from Bulgaria performed by Darina Piano Duo via YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRTbGCXiSVQ&feature=youtu.be
About the composer
He wrote numerous orchestral pieces and suites based on traditional Bulgarian music. Nikolay is a member of the Union of Young Bulgarian Composers and his compositions were recorded by Bulgarian National Radio with the participation of soloists and members of the orchestra of the Filip Kutev Art School to commemorate the school’s 25th anniversary. For many years, until 2008 he was Director of the Byala Slatina company and Director of Nezhen Spomen (Tender Memory) choral group, which successfully won many awards in local and national music competitions in Bulgaria. With the groups’ performing many of his original compositions and arrangements they became the most popular ethnic/folk performers in the country. In 2002 Nikolay recorded a CD of his song arrangements dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the Cultural Centre, Razvitie. Since 2006 he has again broadened his achievements by working for various Bulgarian television companies.