Theodosii Spassov– kaval, voice. 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.
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.
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