site.btaViolinist Vasko Vassilev Starts Bulgarian Tour

Renowned Bulgarian violinist Vasko Vassilev is giving a series of three concerts in Sofia before touring other places in Bulgaria. On November 4, he will appear at the Joy Station, and on November 5, he will perform at Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture (NDK) to present his new project, Vasko & The Violin, and a premiere of the eponymous documentary.

A free screening of the documentary and a concert for students of Sofia high schools will be held on November 5, hours before the violinist stages his show at NDK, which was sold out more than a month ago.

The film was created by journalists Lora Krumova and Maria Yotova, who are the producers. Cinematographer Dobromir Ivanov’s camera captured Vassilev’s fast-paced life over a year between London, Sofia, Tokyo, Milan, Vidin and Valencia. For the first time, the movie shows footage from the artist’s childhood years in Sofia’s Lyulin housing estate, his studies in Moscow under Prof. Maya Glezarova, and his earliest escapes from home, a violin in hand.

In addition to Sofia, Vassilev will tour another 17 Bulgarian cities and towns: Pleven (November 6), Ruse (November 7), Dobrich (November 8), Varna (November 9), Burgas (November 11), Sliven (November 12), Dimitrovgrad (November 13), Stara Zagora (November 14), Asenovgrad (November 15), Plovdiv (November 16), Pazardzhik (November 18), Panagyurishte (November 19), Dupnitsa (November 20), Blagoevgrad (November 21), Sandanski (November 22), Gotse Delchev (November 23) and Veliko Tarnovo (November 25).

Vasko Vassilev joined the Royal Opera House in London as its youngest ever concertmaster in 1994. In 2005, he made his conducting debut at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In 2023, he led the orchestra, under the direction of Antonio Pappano, at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla. Vassilev has worked with artists such as Placido Domingo, Sting, the Rolling Stones, Vanessa-Mae and Lili Ivanova. He also gives masterclasses to violinists at the Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music and at the Conservatory of Music in Spain.