Dragomir Iossifov

Dragomir Yossifov graduated from the State Academy of Music majoring in Conducting under Professor Vasil Arnaudov (choral conducting) and Dimitar Manolov (orchestral conducting). He also studied Composition with Professor Lazar Nikolov and Bojidar Spassov. He specialised with Theo Loevendie, Ton de Leeuw. P.-H. Dietrich, Fr. Goldmann and also with Anatol Vieru (1995-96). In 1993 he was appointed conductor of the Professor Vassil Arnaudov Choir in Ruse, with which he won two gold medals and the Grand Prix at the Third International Choral Competition in Polheim, Germany (1998). He founded the International Youth Festival Orchestra in Ruse (1996). He is conductor of the Musica Nova Chamber Ensemble. In 1999 he received a scholarship of the Brandenburg Culture Ministry and spent four months in Schloss Wipersdorf, Germany. As a pianist, chorus master and visiting conductor, he premiered numerous 20th century works. He composed mainly chamber-instrumental music. His musical language makes use of vanguard techniques and aesthetics characteristic for the Musica Nova movement. His music was performed at contemporary music forums such as Musica Nova in Sofia, Berlin Biennial (1997), Moscow Autumn (1997), Melos/Ethos in Bratislava (1998), Musica Contemporanea in Trieste, Wien Modern in Vienna (2003) and also in the USA, Romania, etc. Bagateli in Tempore Belli was commissioned by the Berlin Biennial and performed as part of the festival in 1997; his Opera instabile… voci insensibili was commissioned by the Ensemble Recherch and performed at the Musikprotokol in Graz, Austria in 2002.

He won the first prize at the Ivan Spassov International Composition Competition (1998) and the Conductor’s Prize at the Seghizzi Choral Competition in Gorizia, Italy (2003).