Dimitar Pentchev is a proud successor of a long and formidable tradition of piano teaching and playing. He has performed solo and chamber music recitals in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, USA and Canada. Mr. Pentchev was only 14 when he was chosen to perform with the legendary Bulgarian conductor Maestro Dobrin Petkov as part of series of concerts promoting young musicians by the Plovdiv Philharmony Orchestra. His interpretation of Kabalevsky’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in D Major earned him accolades from professional musicians and audiences alike. Later Dimitar was invited to perform two more times with the Plovdiv Philharmony as a soloist in Shostakovish’s 2nd piano concerto and Grieg’s Concerto in A Minor. Appearances with Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra followed under the baton of Maestro Ivan Spasov and with Beethoven Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra as well as performances at the the International Music Festival Winter Music Evenings, later named after Ivan Spasov.
Dimitar Pentchev has performed more than 30 solo recital programs since the age of 12 in Bulgaria, Greece, Czech Republic, UK, USA and Canada. He is still very much active as a concert pianist and as an orchestra soloist, his latest appearance being with the Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra as a soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1.
Mr. Pentchev has also been a professional composer for film and theatre, and producer since 1996. His music has been performed in Europe, Africa and North America and recorded for Bulgarian National Radio, Bulgarian National Television and the BBC.
He has been commissioned throughout the years by various theatre companies, Criterion Collection (USA), Ensemble for Electroacoustic Music (Bulgaria) and private film collections to write music for concert, film and theatre.
In 2002 Dimitar was commissioned to write a full score for the 1929 legendary film “Pandora’s Box”, starring Louise Brooks, dir. G.W. Pabst, which was performed then live at the “Silent Sisters” festival in Dallas, Texas. There have been many attempts to score this film classical film but after hearing Mr. Pentchev’s score, Barry Paris, biographer of Louise Brooks called it “the definitive score” for the movie.
Throughout his career as a composer, Dimitar has won some prestigious awards – twice nominated for the most prestigious Theatre award in Bulgaria – A’Askeer – he won the award on his second nomination in 1999. In the same year Radio “Tempo”, Bulgaria gave him a Special Prize – for best original music for a Bulgarian play (“Epic Times”). In September 2001 in vigorous competition with fellow composers he won First Prize at the 4th Russell Horn Young Composers Competition. The critics praised the successful fusion between American Jazz and Bulgarian folk elements in his winning piece “Conversations for Violin and Piano”.
Fees
Teaching rates start at $150 per month. Monthly Masterclass is included in the tuition.