Since prehistoric times, percussion instruments have existed on earth. But they have been perfected for a long time before reaching their modern application. It was not until the middle of the past century that works started being composed specifically for the rich percussions section including instruments with a variety of sonority qualities. The marimba is one of them, and in the hands of Tatyana Koleva this instrument acquires a special beauty. She is a professional musician who has long attained excellence in the field of classical and improvisation skills. And to this day she keeps developing as an artist and educator.

"It all started with a dream - to do music”, says Tatiana Koleva. “In my childhood, I played the piano, and later I enrolled in the music school in my hometown of Varna with percussions. My first teacher was Rosa Sivriyan. Then naturally I had to apply with the Music Conservatory in Sofia, now the Pancho Vladigeroff Academy of Music. I studied there for two years and received an invitation from the American professor Robert van Sice to go to the Netherlands. It was a great challenge. This decision cost me a lot of effort and hard work but when you have a strong desire, things always work out."

In the Netherlands, Tatiana Koleva mainly plays in several duets with colleagues – she combines various percussion instruments with the saxophone sound of Rutger van Otterloo, with the church pipe organ of Yan Hage, with the flute of Eleonora Pameyer. She has devoted a special place in her repertoire also for the Rubatong blues band.

"I have an amazing chance to work with composers who write especially for me", Tatyana continues her story. "This is a huge personal wealth, but is also an important contribution to the repertoire of percussion instruments as a whole. Once I present the pieces, all students and colleagues have access to them. I actively participate in the process of writing a composition. The freedom of form and the combination of different styles is very important. The long-standing attachment to the classical form and the polyphonic line is long gone. Everything can be mixed - ethno, pop, jazz and electronics. Music is such a personal and intimate experience and if you do not invest in it all your soul, you cannot be a professional."

Currently Tatiana teaches at two conservatories - in Rotterdam and Groningen, alongside teaching at master classes worldwide. In 2009, she set up the Youth Percussions Pool - a group which was awarded the 2012 Ensemble of the Year.

What's next for Tatyana Koleva in the near future?

"I begin this year with great excitement. What I expect now is a large project with the dance company "Leineroebana". All performers are on stage - both dancers and musicians. The program includes the music of Chinese-American composer Tan Dun, the Greek Ioannis Ksinakis and other contemporary authors. Then I will present a new concert in Sofia for marimba and orchestra written by Tsenko Minkin. The premiere will be on April 16 in the Bulgaria hall. A month later, forthcoming is the second edition of the Amsterdam Marimba Weekend. I am assisted in this project by my regular partners from the company "Pustjens Percussions Productions". All this will happen with them between May 8 and 10."

For the time spent in the Netherlands - more than 15 years, Tatyana Koleva has done much to integrate Bulgaria into the European culture. So in 2007 she received the Musician of the Year award of the music show of the Bulgarian National Radio. Two years later she was awarded this prize.

English Rossitsa Petcova