Kostadin Buradzhiev / Academic Folk Choir

About Kostadin Buradzhiev / Academic Folk Choir

The Academic folk choir at the Academy of Arts in Plovdiv – Bulgaria, was founded in 1972. In a relatively short time it has achieved exceptional results. Having developed its technical and artistic skills on a high academic level, the choir falls into the same category with a large number of professional choirs. It has faced successfully the challenge of performing songs composed on a folklore base by overcoming their numerous vocal, technical and interpretative difficulties.
The choir’s repertoire is characterized by a wide specter of style variety – from authentic folk song from different national regions, to multi-voice interpretations, composer’s works composed with vanguard means of expression, and old orthodox songs.
Many works have been written and dedicated to the Academic folk choir by authors like Asen Diamandiev, Stefan Mutafchiev, Ivan Spasov, Nikolai Stoikov, Kiril Stefanov, Nikolai Kaufman, Krassimir Kyurkchijski, Anastas Naumov, etc. Their works have often had their debut performances done by the choir. Thanks to them, the choir has become the founder of the phenomenon called “new folklore influence”. It is characterized with the intonations and metro-rhythms that are integrated in the works they perform, as well as with the highly professional use of contemporary interpretative methods.
The choir has participated in numerous concerts in Bulgaria as well as internationally, yielding numerous acknowledgements and prizes. Some of the choir’s more remarkable international awards are those from the “Bidgosh Musical Impressions” festival in Poland, “Gurten festival” – Switzerland, Flanders Festival – Belgium, “Europalia” – Belgium, as well as the Bulgarian collection of “New Bulgarian Music”, etc.
The international critics have acclaimed the choir’s performances as perfectly epitomizing the “mystery of the Bulgarian Voices”, “superseding the common idea about the Bulgarian national song”, and original and enchanting “with their beauty, precision, artistic freedom and stable intonation”.
Some of most acclaimed choir-masters were Associate Prof. Stefan Mutafchiev and Prof. Vassilka Spasova, the latter being considered the chief contributor for the biggest achievements of the choir.
Starting fall 2004, PhD Kostadin Buradzhiev has been the chief choir-master. In the year 2005 the choir won the first prize on the International Folk Festival in Albena, Bulgaria. In 2005-2006 it also made numerous recordings for the Bulgarian National Radio. The greatest recognition for its professionalism the choir gets at the 5th Choir Olympics in Graz, Austria, where it won the Gold medal and title of World Champion in category "Folklore". For this success the choir is rewarded with the "Crystal Lyre” of UBMD, Ministry of Culture and Radio FM +.


PhD Kostadin Buradzhiev was born in Plovdiv. Long-time leader and choir-master of “Dobroudzha” Ensemble, Dobrich. Together with the ensemble, he has toured Bulgaria and the world to give over 1 000 concerts in countries like Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Russia, China, Thailand, Laos, etc.
Together with “Dobroudzha” PhD Buradzhiev has recorded four long-playing records and six CD albums that also include his compositions and arrangements – “Being there”, “Songs and People from Dobroudzha”, “Bobroudzha Tree”, “Song and Love”, “Magical Voices from Bulgaria” I & II (produced by SABAM – Belgium).
He is a carrier of a number of home and international prizes and awards:
1st prize on the “Young Musician” – Competition in Chirpan, Bulgaria, 1977;
3rd prize at the “Young Musician” – Competition in Chirpan, Bulgaria, 1982;
“Golden Lyre” award, 1994 and 1999;
“Silver Lyre” award, 1989;
4 first prize awards on the “World in Music” – International Festival in Italy in 1998 in the categories “Folk choir”, “Folk Orchestra”, “Folk Ensemble” (up to 16 members), “Folk Ensemble” (16 and up members);
1st prize from the “Folk Orchestra Playing” – Competition in Silistra, Bulgaria, 1995;
Musician of the Year Prize in Dobrich, Bulgaria.

Starting 2001 Kostadin Buradzhiev has been a professor of folk orchestra conducting in the Academy for Music, Dancing and Painting Arts and in 2004 he also got the position of choir-master of the Academic Choir of the same institution. Together with the choir, PhD Buradzhiev has had numerous participations and awards the mast notable of which are:
Europalia Concerts in Belgium, 2002;
Recording a CD album with the choir in 2004;
1st prize on the Competition “Folklore without Limits” in Albena, Bulgaria, 2005.

He has also published numerous handbooks for folk instrument players including 4 handbooks for playing the tambura with piano and orchestra accompaniments, etc. In 2005 Buradzhiev defended a dissertation under the title “Tambura Performing Techniques and Methods” and is awarded the degree “Doctor”.
Besides his conducting and choir-master activities, PhD Buradzhiev has recorded numerous of his compositions and arrangements in National Radio Sofia. He also has recorded many of his tambura performances of solo pieces. In 2006 he recorded a CD called “Orpheus Flowers” with his own arrangements of popular Bulgarian folk songs.