Interview of Dimitar Sotirov with Lyubomir Denev – the composer of “Lilly and the Golden Pearl”
Тук сложи интервюто
Lyubomir Denev – composer, conductor and jazz-pianist was born on 12 September 1951 in Vidin. His musical interests date since his earliest childhood, when he started taking lessons in violin and accordion. He continued his musical education at the Sofia School of Music in the class for percussion instruments of Prof. D. Paliev, from which he graduated in 1971. As a pupil, he played in the Pioneer Philharmonics and took part in several foreign tours, he made his first composition attempts mainly in the field of jazz and pop music.
In 1973, L. Denev enrolled the Academy of Music in Sofia – his occupations in composition were with Prof. Tsv. Tsvetanov and Prof. Parashkev Hadjiev. He graduated in 1979 as orchestra conductor in the class of Prof. Konstantin Iliev. Still as a student he made a name of original and active jazz-pianist and composer – with his jazz-trio he took part at several prestigious international festivals in the Czech Republic, Poland, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Cuba and others.
Two years before his graduation he won the competition for trainee-conductor at the Stefan Makedonski State Music Theatre, where he has been working until 1986, realizing the musical setting of a series of classical operettas and modern musicals. He improved his conducting mastery at the international courses in Siena (Italy) by Fr. Ferrara and in Holland by Ed. Downes, he continued his education in composition by Prof. Anatol Vieru. In 1983-1984 Denev travelled in the USA in a Programme for cultural exchange, where he got acquainted closely with musical productions on Broadway and with the work on film music in Hollywood, he appeared as jazzman.
After 1986, L. Denev has been a freelance composer and conductor, often invited by the best symphonic orchestras in Bulgaria – in Ruse, Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv and others. With the Symphonic Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio, he made premiere performances and recordings of a series of new Bulgarian music works. His international activity includes recordings with the Symphonic Orchestra of the Greek Radio and Television and two CDs for the American company CONCORD-Records (1996 and 1998). He gave solo jazz-recitals in Paris, in Germany, Slovakia, Hungary and others. In the period 2008-2009, he was invited by the Ministry of Culture of Bavaria at the Villa Concordia International Cultural Centre, where he composed, gave lectures and concerts.
As composer L. Denev works in all music genres – chamber and symphonic music, pop and jazz, as well as for the theatre, the television and the cinema. His music was performed in many countries in Europe, in Canada, Mexico, India, Russia, Egypt, the USA and Japan. His musical “Vain Efforts of Love” was guest in Cairo (1989) with the production of the Bulgarian Chamber Opera – Blagoevgrad, the musical “Law of the Jungle” (bearer of the SOFIA ‘1989 Award) had its premiere in translation in French in Paris (1993), and the musical “Alice in the Dreamland” was produced in Greek in Nicosia and Larnaca – Cyprus, December 2012.
Except the numerous prizes, awarded to L. Denev in our country (ASCEER 2001, Chrystal Lyre for Jazz 2006 and others), he was awarded also several prestigious international distinctions: for choir composition (“At the Source”) in Jihlava – the Czech Republic, for chamber music at the Intersonanzen Festival in Potsdam – Germany (for “Play with the Wind”), the Award of the Bösendorefer Competition (“Hymns to the Sun” for piano), the Golden Chest 2006 for music to the film “Cock-sparrows in October, Second Award at the SOFIA ‘2009 Competition (“Concerto Nostalgico” for the Sofia Soloists Ensemble) and others.
The Bulgarian National Television recorded two films, dedicated to the creative work of L. Denev: “The Music, which I Make” (2000) and “Smart Village – the Club of Silence” (2005).