Angel Stankov

Concertmaster of the Sofia Philharmonic for many years, Angel Stankov has also sustained a violin partnership: the violin duo he formed with Yosif Radionov reached fifty years on stage. He was born in Sofia in 1948 and studied at the National Academy of Music with Leon Souroujon and Vladimir Avramov, then, on Ruggiero Ricci's recommendation, in London with Manoug Parikian and Yfrah Neaman. Bulgarian repertoire has featured in his performing and recording work. He is a professor at the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music and served as its deputy rector, and has taught violin and chamber music. In 2021 Japan named him a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, for his work with young Japanese musicians. He also conducts, having trained with Hristo Ivanov, Dobrin Petkov and Assen Naydenov, and has led the Sofia and Rousse Philharmonic Orchestras, the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra and ensembles in Ukraine, North Macedonia, Serbia, Greece and Turkey, among them a Beethoven symphony cycle in the 1999/2000 season. He gave the first performances of Peter Hristoskov's Vocalise, Krassimir Taskov's Adagio and Boris Karadimchev's Baroque concert on Beatles themes. Queen Elizabeth II made him a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2009 for his advocacy of British music in Bulgaria, and Sofia named him an honorary citizen. His deputy rectorship lasted from 1999 to 2008.