Christo Popov

Christo Popov was born in December 1984 in Sofia (Bulgaria). Since 2000 he lives in Austria, where his career as pianist started. He plays regularly as Soloist and with chamber orchestras on many festivals, master courses and competitions as well. His classical repertoire includes all epochs and by now he has developed a personal preference for composers of the Romantic period. Furthermore, he prefers the time period between the 20. and 21. century. As a student at the University of Music and Performing Art Vienna he takes piano lessons from Prof. Antoinette van Zabner. Christo Popov completes his education in 2015 with honours. He works with many prominent and talented artists and has become numerous awards from international competitions.
His concert activity involves performances in Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia and China.

“Spirit of Passion“ (Piano Works by Arvo Pärt, Franz Liszt, Friedrich Nietzsche and Alexander P. Wladigeroff) is a conceptual compilation that seeks to blend music and philosophy. The album focuses on emphasizing the inherent contrasts between its two parts, allowing listeners to experience the subtle differences and the uniqueness of each of the musical pieces.

Buy the album on iTUNES or (expired link)

“Spirit of Passion“ (Piano Works by Arvo Pärt, Franz Liszt, Friedrich Nietzsche and Alexander P. Wladigeroff) is a conceptual compilation that seeks to blend music and philosophy. The album focuses on emphasizing the inherent contrasts between its two parts, allowing listeners to experience the subtle differences and the uniqueness of each of the musical pieces.

There have been many discussions about the difference between the ratified modern way of playing and the one that I purposefully use in my interpretation of certain epochs. That is why I consider it sensible to make my standpoint about the problem clear. Nowadays, I can see that many modern interpreters and teachers for classical music either do not know or turn down fundamental techniques, which had been invariably used by musicians in the 18th, 19th and the first half of 20th century. Due to records, literature and much practice, I was able to discover and go into detail about the philosophy and specifics of the respective technique. The principles of those style, which is forgotten by most of the modern musicians, have been described (even noted!) through the centuries by many composers, interpreters, critics and theorists. Even archive recordings from great composers and instrumentalists such as Brahms, Sauer, Clara Schumann, Grieg, Reinecke, Paderewski, Saint-Saëns, Adelina de Lara and many others, which have been preserved until today, show that what is noted on the sheet is not everything that composers actually required from the interpreters back then. And by everything I do not mean the colors and nuances of the sound that are inevitably used and individually interpreted by every professional musician. I regard much more an unsynchronized style obtained through the so called “dislocation”, (expired link). the slight crossing of between the melody and the accompaniment; "inégalité" - the triplet performance (playing) of two equally written values (notes); the dissolving of chords that do not have an arpeggiation sign. By using these techniques, one could not only present a greater style authenticity, but could also interpret musical works with a unique and expressive manner, so different from the strict and synchronized ways used nowadays. In my opinion, one should not only accept the existence of such techniques, but also acknowledge them as a way to express a performer’s individuality, to fully develop a particular composition and to present a certain authenticity. Therefore, I fully adopt the main principles of this forgotten style, despite the disapproval and criticism of some modern musicians. Christo Popov