Biography

Lachezar Kostov

Hailed for the "awesome purity of his playing", and described as a “prodigiously skilled protagomist” Bulgarian cellist Lachezar Kostov was the National Winner at the 2006 MTNA Young Artists Competition and has won numerous prizes including the Cello Award at the Kingsville Competition in 2005, first prize at the Hendersonville Chamber Music Competition, and the Grand Prix at the International Music and Earth Competition in Bulgaria. He has appeared as a guest soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Japan, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Bulgaria. Having spent three consecutive summers at the Tanglewood Music Center, Mr. Kostov was a member of the resident ensemble "The New Fromm Players", collaborating with prominent American composers such as John Harbison, Ellen Zwilich and Harvey Solberger and participating in master classes with Yo Yo Ma and James Levine.

In the past two seasons Mr. Kostov performed series of concerts in Japan, including concerts as a soloist of the Philharmonic Orchestras of Hino and Tachikawa, as well as recitals in Tokyo's Sakura Hall and Oji Hall, where he performed with Japanese pianist Ai Shimizu. In May 2008, he performed a recital at Weill Hall, sponsored by the "Bulgarian Treasures" Foundation. In March 2009, Mr. Kostov made his official debut at Carnegie Hall's ZANKEL Hall performing rarely heard works for cello and piano by Zwilich, Roslavets, Kabalevsky and Saint-Saens. Both concert featured his long time friend and chamber music partner, pianist Viktor Valkov.

Lachezar Kostov started playing cello at the age of 5 and gave his first recital at 12. While still a student, he performed widely as a soloist of various Bulgarian orchestras and toured in Western Europe. At the age of 18, Mr. Kostov won the 1st and Special prizes at the National Music Talents Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria. He continued his studies at the State Academy of Music in Sofia, under the guidance of the famous Bulgarian pedagogue Bogomil Karakonov. Furthermore, he was an active participant at the Summer Academy in Semerring, Austria, where he studied with Hungarian cellist Csaba Onczay. During his time in Bulgaria Mr. Kostov often
collaborated with prominent Bulgarian artists such as Vasko Vassilev and Angel Stankov, who had major influence over his playing. In 2003, Mr. Kostov spent several months in Munchen, where he studied privately with Russian cellist David Grigorian, whom Mr. Kostov claims as his most important cello teacher.

Lachezar Kostov is currently enrolled as a Doctor of Musical Arts student at Rice University, where he studies with Norman Fischer. He also holds diplomas from North Carolina School of the Arts and Yale School of music, where he was tutored by Zvi Plesser and Aldo Parisot.
Mr. Kostov's first commercial CD will be released by NAXOS in 2010. He plays on a modern Italian cello, graciously given to him by the late Katsuo Shimizu estate.