Martin Georgiev

Award-winning composer-conductor Martin Georgiev is currently undertaking Doctoral research in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His PhD with supervisor Dr Philip Cashian and tuition with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Julian Anderson and Colin Mathews is supported by the Wingate Foundation and central to it is his new approach to pitch organisation based upon features of medieval Bulgarian-Orthodox chant, described by him as "Morphing Modality".

He also holds a Postgraduate degree in Conducting from the Royal Academy of Music, where he has studied with Colin Metters, Sir Colin Davis and George Hurst, and was awarded with the Fred Southall Memorial Prize and major scholarships by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), RAM/Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, National Culture Fund of Bulgaria, Varna City Council and St Cyril and Methodius International Foundation.

He is a laureate of several prizes for composition including The Grand Prize for Symphonic Composition dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of Sofia Philarmonic in 2003, as well as the International Composers' Forum Tactus in Brussels, where his Passacaglia on Two Bulgarian Themes was performed by the National Orchestra of Belgium under Pascal Rophe after being premiered by Sofia Philharmonic under Rossen Milanov. His works have been performed in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Bulgaria, Greece, Israel and Italy.

His Chamber Opera The Mirror with libretto by Marike Van Aerde was premiered in London in June 2009 by the Azalea Ensemble under Jessica Cottis with patrons Lady Solti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Andrew Ritchie CBE. As a composer-conductor, he recorded his Heavenly Reflections with the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra in March 2007. This recording was presented at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers 2007 in Paris. Another commission by the same orchestra followed and his Symphonic Variations on a Theme by Handel were recorded with him conducting, and broadcast the following year. Midnight Song for Violin and Piano was commissioned by RAM and the Mayor of London for The Story of London campaign in 2009.

Apocalyptic Passacaglia on a Theme by John Cage, commissioned by the PENDIM International Competition for Percussionists was published by HoneyRock USA and received numerous performances worldwide. Amongst other important commissions were Faith, Hope, Love for Symphony Orchestra, commissioned by Varna Summer IMF and premiered by Sofia Philharmonic under Dian Tchobanov in 2006 and Concerto for Vibraphone, Marimba and String Orchestra premiered with Martin as a soloist by the Brevis Chamber Orchestra under Plamen Markov at the same festival in 2002. He was given several commissions by the Royal Academy of Music including Premonitions for chamber ensemble premiered by the Manson Ensemble with Franck Ollu and Verkl�rung for 13 winds premiered by RAM Symphonic Wind with Keith Bragg in 2009.

He has appeared as a guest conductor with the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra, Sofia National Philharmonic, Varna Philharmonic, the London Bloomsbury Opera with Die Fledermaus, the Royal Academy Concert Orchestra, and has been assistant conductor to Sir Colin Davis, Leif Segerstam and Tadaaki Otaka. He has been assistant music director for the premiere of the new opera Tarantula in Petrol Blue by Anna Meredith at the Aldeburgh Festival.

Born in 1983 at Varna, Bulgaria, Georgiev has been a prominent Marimba and Percussion performer, laureate of 15 prizes from national and international competitions for percussionists. He has performed as a soloist concerto repertoire with Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra, Varna Philharmonic, Dobrich Chamber Orchestra amongst others, including premieres of new works for Marimba/Percussion and Orchestra and has recorded Marimba repertoire for the Bulgarian National Radio and Television.

Awarded with a National Diploma by the Bulgarian Government for outstanding achievements in his secondary education he has obtained his Bachelor's degree in Percussion from the National Academy of Music at Sofia, Bulgaria studying with Professor Tatiana Karparova while studying Conducting with Professor Plamen Djouroff and Composition with Professor Krassimir Taskov. At the same period he studied conducting and composition with the outstanding Bulgarian composer-conductor Professor Vassil Kazandjiev within the ABRSM programme in Sofia and as a result was awarded the ABRSM International Scholarship to study Conducting in London.