Alexander Raytchev
Encyclopedia
Alexander Alexandrov Raytchev {Bulgarian
Александър Александров Райчев}, born 15 March 1975 in Sofia
, Bulgaria
, is a Bulgarian classical
pianist
und composer
who lives in Germany
.
in Sofia
.
Alexander Raytchev received his first piano lesson at the age of five. Six years later, he won the national competition PROWADIA, was shortly afterwards invited as a composer at Baden-Baden's Brahms Symposium and was honored in Japan for his compositions. After his secondary studies in 1993, Alexander Raytchev studied piano and composition at the University of Music Trossingen with Johannes van Beek in parallel with Jowtsho Kruschev in Sofia. He then successfully completed a Concert Exam with Arie Vardi
and Bernd Goetzke at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover.
He was awarded numerous prizes, including the Students' Competition in Hanover, and won the "Performance of the Year" contest with the Sofia Radio Orchestra. In 2000, Alexander Raytchev was appointed "Musician of the Year" in Bulgaria. He recorded on CD Sergei Rachmaninov's Concerto No. 3 D minor and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
for the American label Music Minus One
.
He is keen on projects on literature and music, for example with the actor Ulrich Tukur
. Since 2004, Alexander Raytchev is the Sofia Symphonic Orchestra
's first soloist guest.
The pianist's adoptive city is Hamburg. He here prepares for his international tours to the USA and Japan. In addition, his sphere of influence extends from multimedia concerts for the Planetarium Hamburg, a symbiosis of classical music and picture projections, to active teaching. He is amongst other things, part of various chamber music ensembles with singers from the Staatsoper Hannover
and musicians of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra.
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
Александър Александров Райчев}, born 15 March 1975 in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, is a Bulgarian classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
und composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
who lives in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Biography
The pianist and composer Alexander Raytchev comes from a multigenerational family of artists. His father is the composer Alexandar Ivanow Raytchev (born 11 April 1922 in Lom; died 2003 in Sofia), his mother Milena Atanassova is actress at the Ivan Vazov National TheatreIvan Vazov National Theatre
The Ivan Vazov National Theatre is Bulgaria's national theatre, as well as the oldest and most authoritative theatre in the country and one of the important landmarks of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria...
in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
.
Alexander Raytchev received his first piano lesson at the age of five. Six years later, he won the national competition PROWADIA, was shortly afterwards invited as a composer at Baden-Baden's Brahms Symposium and was honored in Japan for his compositions. After his secondary studies in 1993, Alexander Raytchev studied piano and composition at the University of Music Trossingen with Johannes van Beek in parallel with Jowtsho Kruschev in Sofia. He then successfully completed a Concert Exam with Arie Vardi
Arie Vardi
Arie Vardi is an Israeli classical pianist and piano pedagogue.He is currently teaching at the Buhmann-Mehta Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hanover and at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Brunswick, Maine...
and Bernd Goetzke at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover.
He was awarded numerous prizes, including the Students' Competition in Hanover, and won the "Performance of the Year" contest with the Sofia Radio Orchestra. In 2000, Alexander Raytchev was appointed "Musician of the Year" in Bulgaria. He recorded on CD Sergei Rachmaninov's Concerto No. 3 D minor and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in A minor, Op. 43 is a concertante work written by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is written for solo piano and symphony orchestra, closely resembling a piano concerto. The work was written at Villa Senar, according to the score, from July 3 to August 18, 1934...
for the American label Music Minus One
Music Minus One
Music Minus One is a company that produces sheet music that comes with compact discs where the work is recorded without the soloist part . This can be used for practice. There is also a second version on the CD, where the tempo is 20% reduced...
.
He is keen on projects on literature and music, for example with the actor Ulrich Tukur
Ulrich Tukur
Ulrich Tukur is a German actor and musician.-Biography:Tukur spent his youth near Hanover where he finished his final secondary-school examinations in 1977. He also achieved a high school degree in Boston during an exchange of students where he met his first wife, Amber Wood. With her, he had two...
. Since 2004, Alexander Raytchev is the Sofia Symphonic Orchestra
Sofia Symphonic Orchestra
The Sofia Symphonic Orchestra is a one of the most illustrious symphonic orchestras in Europe. It was founded in 1928 under the supervision of Bulgarian musician Alexander Popov. He was the chief conductor of the orchestra until 1956...
's first soloist guest.
The pianist's adoptive city is Hamburg. He here prepares for his international tours to the USA and Japan. In addition, his sphere of influence extends from multimedia concerts for the Planetarium Hamburg, a symbiosis of classical music and picture projections, to active teaching. He is amongst other things, part of various chamber music ensembles with singers from the Staatsoper Hannover
Staatsoper Hannover
Staatsoper Hannover is an opera house and opera company in Hanover. It is one of the leading opera companies in Germany.During the course of its season from September to June, Staatsoper Hannover mounts productions of a variety of operas from the standard operatic repertoire as well as 20th century...
and musicians of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra.