Yordan Kamdzhalov
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Yordan Kamdzhalov | |
|---|---|
 Conducting Berlin Philharmonic in 2007 | |
| Born | October 16, 1980 Turgovishte, Bulgaria |
| Website | https://kamdzhalov.com/ |
Yordan Kamdzhalov (Bulgarian: Йордан Камджалов) is a Bulgarian conductor and music director.
Kamdzhalov is a laureate Jorma Panula and Gustav Mahler international conducting competitions and served as General Music Director of Theater & Orchester Heidelberg.[1][2] Throughout his career he has collaborated with a range of international orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra London, German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Konzerthausorchester Berlin and New Japan Philharmonic.[3][4] In the opera sector, he conducted performances at, among others, Komische Oper Berlin and Theater Magdeburg, earning him a nomination as 'Best Opera Conductor of the Year' by Deutschlandradio Kultur. As of 2015, Kamdzhalov is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Bulgarian Genesis Orchestra and Music Laboratory for the Human Self.[4][5][6]
Education
Kamdzhalov began piano lessons as a child at the cultural community center in Turgovishte, guided by his mother, a music teacher.[7] In 1999, Kamdzhalov began to study conducting at the Sofia Conservatory under Vassil Kazandjiev and continued at the Hanns Eisler University of Music in Berlin under Christian Ehwald, simultaneously completing training as a choir conductor.[1][8] He was selected to work over an extended period with the Philharmonia and London Philharmonic Orchestras, which led to his collaboration with well-established conducting mentors including Lorin Maazel, Vladimir Jurowski and Esa Pekka Salonen.[6] During his training he also served as a lecturer in Early music at the National Academy of Music (Bulgaria).[1] In 2007, he began to develop his own mathematical interpretation of musical scores by transforming them into structures of eighths, which facilitated memorization and allowed him to focus on communication while conducting.[9]
Career
In 2006, Kamdzhalov became Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the international Berlin Ensemble Innorelatio and served as musical director at the Schlosstheater Rheinsberg from 2007 to 2009.[2] In 2011, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the opera, the philharmonic orchestra and the Schloss festival in Heidelberg.[1][3] The seasons realized during his tenure were the most financially successful in the history of Theater & Orchester Heidelberg.[4][10] He chose not to extend his contract beyond 2014, but he remained as Principal Guest Conductor for the following season.[8][11] His rendition of Bruckner’s Symphony No.3 at his final concert in Heidelberg as General Music Director prompted a critic from Bachtrack to write: “I have now heard many performances of the finale, including that by Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, but at this point Kamdzhalov outshone them all.”[12]
In 2014, IAU and NASA named a minor planet 52292 Kamdzhalov, stating that "he connects the world of music with the fascination for the universe."[11][13][14] The same year the publishing house Sagner released the book "Sound Worlds: Conductor Yordan Kamdzhalov" about Kamdzhalov's music and philosophy.[15][16]
As of 2018 he has been appointed Music Director & Chief Conductor of the opera house in Rijeka, Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc.[17]
Аwards (Highlights)
- 2009 - first prize at the fourth international orchestra conducting competition 'Jorma Panula' in Vaasa (Finland)[18]
- 2010 - third prize at the third international conducting competition 'Gustav Mahler' in Bamberg (Germany)[1]
- 2010 - nominated as 'Best Opera Conductor of the Year' by Deutschlandradio Kultur for conducting the production "Carmen" at the Theater Magdeburg[3]
- 2011 - 'Musician of the Year' award from the Bulgarian National Radio[8]
- 2013 - nominated from Opernwelt in the category of 'best performance' for the premiere of Wolfgang Rihm's opera 'Dionysos' at the Heidelberg Opera[19]
- 2014 - "Music Critics’ Award" at the 24th Central European Music Festival (Slovakia)[20]
- 2015 - Honorary award 'Ambassador for Bulgarian Culture Worldwide' from Superbrands[21]
