Exploring Bulgarian music by Pipkov and Vladigerov

The Bulgarian pianist, Dobromir Tsenov, has been exploring and promoting the works of various Bulgarian composers for several years to great acclaim. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate at the RNCM, focusing on Bulgarian piano music and will be sharing his passion with us performing an hour of glorious music.

Lyubomir Pipkov - 'Pastorale', op. 24 and 'Bulgarian Suite', op. 2

Alexander Vladigerov - 'Toccata'

Pipkov - 'Metro rhythmical studies' op. 69

Pipkov - 'Dance' (From the opera 'Momchil')

Born in 1996, Dobromir Tsenov is a Bulgarian pianist who graduated with distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester under the tutelage of Dina Parakhina and Graham Scott. He was generously supported by the Anderson Powell Prize at the College. Following a year of teaching in China, he commenced his studies as a PhD candidate at the RNCM in September 2023, exploring the complete piano music by Lyubomir Pipkov. His project is supervised by Dr Adam Swayne and Dr Annika Forkert and is kindly supported by the RNCM Studentship, a full stipend for undertaking a full-time PhD research. Dobromir is also generously supported by the Bulgarian Culture Fund.

He completed his postgraduate diploma with Distinction in 2021, as well as his bachelor’s degree with first-class honours at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2019, where he studied with Julian Jacobson and Daniel Browell.

During his studies he developed a strong interest in the early- and mid-twentieth-century Bulgarian classical repertoire by the composers Pancho Vladigerov and his son Alexander. His debut album, Bulgarian Classics, received high acclaim in Bulgaria, where it was broadcast several times on national radio, as well as in the United Kingdom, receiving a five-star review and being described as ‘first class in every respect’ by Robert Matthew-Walker, the editor of Musical Opinion. Dobromir Tsenov also received the Marjorie Hazlehurst Project Award given by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for graduating with the highest result.

His latest album, released in 2022 with works by the lesser-known Bulgarian composer Lyubomir Pipkov, received excellent reviews by the Gramophone magazine as well as the Music Web International and Classics Today, and it was described as ‘a truly great set of interpretations which fully comply with the huge demands on the pianist to accurately reflect all the nuances within this brilliant music.’ A prizewinner of many national and international competitions, he has also taken part in master-classes with such musicians as Nelly Akopian-Tamarina, Ludmil Angelov, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Peter Donohoe, Matthew Schellhorn and Rostislav Yovchev.

This performance is gratefully supported by the Ida Carroll Trust.

Host or Publisher Forsyth Brothers Limited