Ludmil Angelov

Born in Varna, Bulgaria, Ludmil Angelov graduated from the Pancho Vladigerov State Music Academy in Sofia. His teachers were Viktoria Spassova, Ludmila Stoyanova and the phenomenal pianist and pedagogue Konstantin Stankovich, former assistant of Pancho Vladigerov in his piano classes. He won prizes and diplomas at international competitions, including the Senigallia (Italy, 1976), Fryderyk Chopin (Poland, 1985), Palm Beach International Competition (USA, 1990), Piano Masters (Monte Carlo, 1994) and World Piano Masters Tour (France, 1997).

Ludmil Angelov has performed at major concert halls, such as the Philharmonie in Berlin, Musikverein in Vienna, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Pleyel and Gaveau in Paris, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Lincoln Centre in New York, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Herkulessaal in Munich, KKL in Lucerne, the Zürich Opera, the Salle Garnier in Monte-Carlo, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Brucknerhaus in Linz, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Auditori in Barcelona, Palau de la Música in Valencia, the concert halls of the Moscow and Milan Conservatories, the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, KBS Hall in Seoul amongst many others.

The music of Chopin has been a constant of his performing career. During the 1987–88 season he performed the complete solo-piano works by Chopin in a cycle of twelve recitals, a unique event for which he received the prize of ‘Young Musician of the Year in Bulgaria’. He has also participated in some of the most significant Chopin festivals in Poland, Belgium, France, Italy and other countries. In 1999 he presented, in a cycle of recitals, the complete works of Chopin in Madrid and other cities of Spain; ten years later, in the 2009–10 season he again performed the complete Chopin in Spain and Bulgaria. His recording of Chopin’s Rondos and Variations was awarded a Grand Prix du Disque Chopin by the National Chopin Institute in Warsaw.

Since 2006 Ludmil Angelov has performed several world-premieres of works by Nikolai Kapustin and is now considered as one of the leading interpreters of this great contemporary Russian composer. The labels for which Ludmil Angelov has recorded include RCA, Danacord, Gega New, Pentatone, Non Profit Music, Toccata Classics, Hyperion and Vela Records. In June 2015 he recorded with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra the world-premiere recording of the recently discovered early Piano Concerto of Moritz Moszkowski for Hyperion.

Ludmil Angelov teaches at New Bulgarian University in Sofia, where he has been a Honorary Professor since 2013. He gives masterclasses all over the world and has served as a Jury member at many International Competitions, including Chopin Competition in Warsaw (2010 & 2015). In November 2011 he was awarded the Gloria Artis medal by the Polish Ministry of Culture for his contribution to the international promotion of Polish music.

Since 1992 he lives in Spain, where he is member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Toledo. He is also the founder of the Piano Extravaganza Festival in Sofia and Artistic Adviser of Varna Summer International Music Festival.