クラシックの声楽を学ばれるすべての方に、コレギウム・ラモー神戸の音楽監督ネリ・コイチェヴァから10回に渡りシリーズでweb講座を開催いたします。

Dear readers,

I thank you for your interest towards my theoretical publications upon the base of the classical singing. Before we start either theory part, I would like to bring you forward this first publication, with my story as a musician and a performer. I graduated the Academy of music, dance, and fine arts in Bulgaria, Plovdiv. My bachelor degree is classical singing speciality where my teacher used to be the Vocal pedagogue, the famous opera actress Elena Baldjieva – a student of the founder of Bulgarian national operatic style – Prof. Hristo Brambarov. And also, I have completed the full course of study a Musical pedagogy degree. I have Magister of Classical singing, and a Magister of musical pedagogy and Doctor of performing art and Musicology. My dissertation for doctoral degree is “Songs of Charles Ives. Creative philosophy and performer’s problems”, published in Bulgaria, as a monograph of the Publishing Company ‘Technointelexpert’. I am glad that along with preparing the dissertation, I managed to perform in Bulgaria for the first time the songs of the American composer Charles Ives, not just via theoretical examination, but also accomplishing 10 consents in various cities in Bulgaria, as well as one in Vienna.
I have Speciality of Vocal method, and Speciality of a Work with a conductor, with Bulgaria’s best conductor – Maestro Geordi Dimitrov.
Master classes with: Prof. Margarita Lilova, Prof. Brian Mol, Prof. Andreas Lebeda . Prof. Irina Shtiglich, Prof. Norman Shetlard, Aoyama Sensei , and others.
In the extension of 10 years, I have visited the interpretation classes of Irina Shtigich – an expert in the cycle of German music, a famous and highly respected musician and pedagogue. In my student years, and even at present, I am visiting the master classes of Professor Norman Shetlard – a teacher of the musical high-leveled school of Vienna with interpretation of the various styles in the classical music. When I graduated my speciality of classical singing lecturer, I had my belief that I will be singing on the opera stage, and later on, I will be teaching. Though, life itself decided instead of me something completely different. When I was departing with my teacher – doc. Elena Balgjieva, her last words toward me were: “You will sing, and you will teach.” Though back then I didn’t know that it would be our last meeting ever. It was just three days afterwards when she left the world forever. We all, her students were in shock. It wasn’t just losing our classical music teacher, but it also meant that the teacher, to whom we had intrusted our future, and belief to whom most dearly. She was a fine, artistical and noble human, with a big heart, fabulous singer, and a pedagogue. Her voice was just so much beautiful, and easy to remember. Also the technique, with which she was controlling her voice was brilliant and perfect. And because of the fact I had specialized vocal method two years, and had worked with all of her students, after her decease, all of them gave to the president of the music academy, a petition, that they wish to continue their training under my guidance. It was a giant shock to me. I was just 26 years old, and yet I had to take up the responsibility for a part of the class of Elena Baldjieva’s students. The students used to be of the musical academy, and in the national musical school in Plovdiv. Thus, the wheel of my professional life started turning. Instead of the stage, I turned out to be behind the piano in the classical singing study as a teacher. The same place, where recently enough, I was a student. A lot of years passed by since then, so many students of mine graduated and flew as if in different parts of the world. Some of them are worldwide famous, on the top of the opera classics. Others are Solists of opera theaters in Bulgaria, and throughout the world. And some of my students became teachers in various music schools and universities. I managed to lead an interesting, but hard also professional road. At one side, it was a challenge for me to work with so many and various, talented young people with complicated characters in the hardest youthful age, and on the other side, it was a combat with elder than my colleagues, filled with distrust, and also to a big extent with jealousy of the big successes and prices of my students in various competitions. Though, throughout the whole time, it was the one and only purpose of mine: to preserve what I have been thought of my teachers, to enrich and develop further. I was always running away of people who were trying to change me. Of course, alongside, I have met gorgeous, extremely talented colleagues, with whom, we used to help and support each other. In order to be the most helpful of my students, I was learning, and learning, and learning. Performed many concerts, solo parts in oratorios. But the most of all, I was a teacher, tracking out young talents, teaching them, sending them to competitions, directing them where to continue their study or professional road. Thus they graduated, starting their own professional road. I had a vision of every single student of mine, wanted to inspire them, give them knowledge, self confidence, and individuality. I have never supported teaching by the imitation manner. A style, of which the students are being equalized, but the individual opportunities of each one are being restricted.
Ten years ago, in my life, a big and unexpected change occurred. Circumstances lead me to the far away, beautiful and mystical Japan. At first, I was believing that I will be in Japan for one year, and I will go back to Bulgaria, but as always, I was thinking that I was planning one thing, but life, completely reversed it to the opposite. And here I am yet ten years teaching classical singing and giving concerts in the fabulous Japanese halls, to the noble Japanese audience. I am extremely glad of meeting the fabulous musician and artist, Missis Michiko Hanibuchi – a pianist and singer, who trusted me and we both lead together quite a lot of concerts. Together, with Missis Tae Nakano – voice soprano, and Missis Emiko Nomura – piano and cembalo, we created the Rameau Collegioum Kobe, where we founded a School for singers, who are being thought under my guidance. Every year we are conducting the festival of Baroque music, with master class, and a concert of singers, accompaniment of harpsichord, lute, and viola da gamba. In our school, students are being lead by begginers and professional singers who strive to be professional singers. Three years ago, I have been invited to teach vocal techniques and interpretation in the Studiobelcanto -Tokio, where my lectures are being visited mainly of professional singers, preparing roles, concerts, or going to competitions.
I give my gratitude to everyone, who provided me with the honor and the trust to work with me.
Thus, even today I am fulfilling the words of my own teacher: to sing and to teach.
In my next publications I will present you to some important and main theoretical knowledge about the beautiful classical singing.