Theodosii Spassov, Bulgarian Orpheus

Event Details

Theodosii Spassov began his early training on the kaval at the Kotel Music School and The Academy of Music and Dance in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The kaval, an eight-hole wooden “shepherd” flute, is one of the oldest instruments in Europe, rich in tone and technical possibilities. Theodosii Spassov has developed his own unique style of playing the instrument by synthesizing traditional folklore with jazz, fusion and classical music.

Joining Theodosii will be Rumen Sali Shopov, Bill Lanphier, and Georgi Kabaivanov, Plamen Petrov and Radka Varimezova. Opening will be the Black Hats.  Food and drink will be available.

For over 20 years, Theodosii has toured all over Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Canada, and the United States. In 1994, he performed with Sofia Women’s Radio Choir, which was awarded with a Grammy award for “Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares”. In April 1995, “Newsweek” magazine recognized Theodosii Spassov as one of the most talented Eastern-European musicians in its “best of the East” article, noting that “Spassov… is not merely surviving the post-communist cultural wasteland. He has actually invented a new musical genre.”

Theodosii Spassov has contributed to 20 CDs, four of his own, which have been noted worldwide. He has composed and performed numerous film scores including the French-Bulgarian feature film Granitza (The Border), 1993. He has also recorded themes for films by Italian composers Carlos Siliotto and Ennio Morricone, An Italian Story and The Breakout of the Innocent. At the fourth European Jazz Night, Theodosii Spassov was a featured performer along with other jazz musicians, including Winton Marsalis.

At home, in Bulgaria, Theodosii Spassov is a national figure and musical hero. He was most recently awarded The Golden Age Medal, the highest recognition of Bulgaria's Ministry of Culture, and has been honored twice with the Music Artist of the Year award (1997, 2002). Spassov is the Artistic Director of the world-renown Philip Koutev Ensemble Of Music, Drama and Dance. He is a soloist of Bulgarian National Radio.

Theodosii Spassov was a member of the Irish music and dance company Riverdance, 1998-2001. He is the recipient of The International Academy of Arts in Paris Award (1996), among other international awards.