The Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio and its conductor Antoni Donchev are opening the new concert season on 4 October at the concert studio of the BNR, Studio No. 1.

The programme is dedicated to legendary jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis. Soloists are three brilliant Bulgarian trumpeters – Rosen “Roko” Zahariev, Mihail Yossifov and Ventsi Blagoev. More about the concert, and other upcoming events from Antoni Donchev:

“During the new season we have lined up some thrilling music which we think the audience deserves to hear. The taste of our audience is often underrated. People think they should be served lighter, more entertaining music. We like to achieve a balance – besides pleasurable, music should make us think, it should touch us, inspire us. We begin with the programme I called Electric Miles, featuring pieces from Miles Davis’ last period, when he played with performers who created the kind of music that is more communicative, but at the same time more authentic. We shall have two concerts honouring colleagues of ours. Unfortunately, one of them is no longer with us – Alexander Bruzitsov who worked for the Big Band of the BNR for many years. The music we shall play is but a small portion of his works, he has written songs that are unique. We shall also devote a concert to world-class flute player Simeon Shterev, the only Bulgarian musician to have been featured in the major jazz charts. We think it our duty to honour musicians of such stature, and to work with them whenever possible. At the end of the year we are planning a Christmas concert of some superb music with soloists Petar Salchev, Vassil Petrov, the Radiokids…For the first time we have a prorgamme entitled “Jazz in the classics”. We are hoping to build it up into a series of concerts, as the theme is so interesting – many of the foremost 20^th century composers have candidly turned to jazz in their work.”

Clarinet player Dancho Radevski from the BNR Symphony Orchestra and young cellist Atanas Krastev will be soloists at the “Jazz in the classics” concert. The Big Band – Jazz Academy series, which promotes young jazz performers, will continue. The jazz musicians will also be playing with guest musicians from abroad, though, for the time being, their names are not being disclosed.

“Our band will also play with renowned musician Angel Zaberski Jr,” Antoni Donchev says. “He is very much into big band music, he loves it, and I want to invite him to guest conduct for a project of his own music played by our band.”

English version: Milena Daynova

Photos: archive