Georgi Atanasov () (May 6, 1882 – November 17, 1931), was a

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

. A native of

Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...

, Atanasov began formal musical studies in

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at the age of 14. From 1901 until 1903 he studied composition at the Rossini Conservatory in

Pesaro Pesaro (; ) is a (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, capital of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the ...

with

Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece '' Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ...

. Upon receiving his

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offi ...

with the title of "maestro", he adopted the word as his formal style of address. He returned to Bulgaria soon after, becoming well known as a leader of military bands. He conducted the

Sofia National Opera The National Opera and Ballet () is a national cultural institution in Bulgaria that covers opera and ballet. It is based in an imposing building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The first opera company in Bulgaria was founded in 1890 as part of ...

for the 1922/23 season. Atanasov was the first professional Bulgarian

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

composer. His style is

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...

, melodic and bearing the influence of folk idioms. He alternated contrasting musical numbers to achieve dramatic effect in his works.

Operas

BASA 23K-1-1 Cast of opera Tsveta approved by Maestro Georgi Atanasov-1928

*''Borislav'' (1911) *''Moralisti'' (operetta) (1916) *''Gergana'' (1917) *''Zapustyalata vodenitsa'' (''The Abandoned Watermill'') (1923) *''Tsveta'' (1925) *''Kosara'' (1929) *''Altzec'' (1930)

Honours

Atanasov Ridge in

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is named after the composer. Until 2001, Georgi Atanasov Military Music School was an institution of the Bulgarian People's Army and the Bulgarian Armed Forces for military musicians.

References

1882 births 1931 deaths Bulgarian classical composers Bulgarian opera composers Bulgarian male classical composers Male opera composers 20th-century Bulgarian male musicians {{bulgaria-composer-stub