In 2019 Bulgaria’s guitarist Stanislav Hvarchilkov surprised his Bulgarian fans with two different music programmes after fifteen years of absence from the local music stage. Stanislav has been playing on classical guitar for 30 years. The Bulgarian musician settled in London after he graduated from the National Music School Lyubomir Pipkov. There, he continued in the classes of Michael Levine in the Royal Academy of Music. He earned over 20 awards from national and international guitar competitions, including the International Competition for Young Guitarists Andres Segovia in Germany in 2002. He won the prestigious Musician of the Year 2003 poll of Allengro Vivace classical music show of the Bulgarian National Radio. Stanislav won prizes and scholarships from Hattori Foundation, Musician Benevolent Fund and Royal Philharmonic Society.

Stanislav Hvarchilkov gave a series of recitals in Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland. Between 2009 and 2016 he released several CDs with own music compositions and arrangements of popular classical pieces for guitar and guitar and violin. His first solo author’s album named First Fruits was released several years ago.

In December 2018, I was invited by the Director of the Apollonia Festival of Arts Margarita Dimitrova to attend its 2019 edition, Stanislav told Radio Bulgaria. I took part at the music programme of this prestigious music forum 14 years ago for the last time. I was very happy that I had the chance to play again at the Apollonia Festival of Arts. I prepared a suitable music repertoire and chose Boccherini’s famous guitar quintet Fandango. I performed it together with Sofia Quartet. I had a concert in Sofia before I appeared on stage in Sozopol. I played in the crypt of Alexander Nevsky cathedral, which was a dream come true. There, I played my author’s pieces and transcriptions of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and Paraguayan composer Agustin Barrios. Several weeks earlier, I presented this solo programme in London as well. I am very pleased and happy with the interest the music fans show in my music after my concerts in Sofia and Sozopol.

Stanislav Hvarchilkov likes to experiment. He wants to continue writing music, play the guitar and compose pieces for electric guitar as well. Apart from teaching, he is also open to play in various bands. He is not a musician who focuses entirely on his solo career. He already wrote new pieces which are to be included in his next music album.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov