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Georgi Varbanov
Ever since the age of six Georgi Varbanov knew that
his future could not exclude percussion instruments. Only seven years
old and as the youngest participant, he was a prize winner at Bulgaria's
most important national competition, the Obretenov Provadia 1988, which
is surely proof enough of his exceptional talent. This was followed by
over 20 awards from various national and international competitions in
the course of his studies at the Music College in Pleven, the State
Music Academy of Sofia, the Richard Strauss Conservatoire in Munich, and
the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. These include two first prizes at
the International Competition for Percussion Instruments Pendim in 1999
and in 2005, the prize of the Kulturkreis Gastaig in Munich in 2003, as
well as the first prize, including two special awards, at the
International Percussion Competition Luxemburg 2005, together with the
Via Nova Percussion Group.
Thanks to his collaboration with Peter Sadlo, Adel Schalaby, Justus
Frantz, Bogdan Bacanu, and the long-lasting friendship with Alexander
Kamenarov, Georgi Varbanov has become a multi-talented artist. He is a
marimba player with a broad repertoire, an ethnic music specialist, and
an excellent orchestral musician, who is active as solo percussionist in
the Philharmonie der Nationen since 2003 and has also performed with the
symphonic orchestra of the Bavarian radio/television broadcasting
station.
Georgi Varbanov is also active as a composer. Tanz za Barabani, which he
composed in collaboration with Alexander Kamenarov, has already been
performed with great success by the Via Nova Percussion Group in Japan,
Taiwan, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.
