Master pianist to teach and entertain in Paphos

For all musicians out there – and especially pianists – the name Romeo Smilkov will most probably be well-known. The Bulgarian pianist, who seems to have taken a liking of our island, will be back this year for another piano concert and a piano masterclass.

Last year in April he led a masterclass in Paphos after giving two performances that made everyone in ear shot fall in love with the piano. This year the internationally renowned pianist will head to Paphos once more to teach and entertain.

Smilkov is a graduate of the National Music Academy Prof Pancho Vladigerov in Sofia. He has won numerous international and national prizes, such as first prize in the Salerno Piano Competition in Italy in 1979, and second prize in the Razgrad Piano Competition in Bulgaria in 1984.

In 2011 he received the Special Prize Medeniya Tchan from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv. Not only a pianist who wins first and special prizes, Smilkov is a pioneer in the world music scene as he participated in the First International Piano Competition in Tokyo in 1980, and also in the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1982.

You know you are in good hands when a musician has performed in more than 800 concerts in Bulgaria and in eleven countries of Europe and Asia (including Russia, Japan and China).

Having achieved so much on a personal career level and having appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras in Bulgaria and abroad, the pianist also turns his attention to passing on his knowledge to future generations of musicians. He achieves this by teaching at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and also at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts and at the New Bulgarian University in Sofia.

Now he will bring his knowledge to piano players and music lovers during a masterclass next Saturday. You can either choose to take part in a group masterclass with a charge of €10, have the pianist all to yourself in a half-hour private class (€25) or an hour-long private class (€40), or take part in both a group and private masterclass for half an hour (€30) or an hour (€50).

If you are interested in learning from one of the best, reserve your place by calling 70-002420 or send an email to [email protected]. But do it soon, there is limited space.

After Smilkov has shared his wisdom with his students, he will perform works that were written during the last creative years of Mozart, Beethoven and Liszt at Technoplis 20 cultural centre on September 27.

The programme explores the stylistic, structural and technical evolution of their clavier work, which influences the development of contemporary piano music.

Piano Masterclass with Romeo Smilkov
Masterclass with the pianist from Bulgaria. September 24. Technopolis 20 Cultural Centre, Paphos. 10am-7pm. €50/10. Tel: 70-002420

Romeo Smilkov
Concert by the Bulgarian pianist. September 27. Technopolis 20, Paphos. 8pm. €10/6. Tel: 70-002420

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