From 1964 to 1968 he studied metallurgy at the Chemistry and Technology Institute in Sofia. After that Tsvetan Denev graduated from Bulgarian State Conservatory (now National Music Academy ”Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”) in 1974 majoring in Composition under Prof. Marin Goleminov. His professors also are Ivan Eftimov and Vassil Arnaudov. From 1975 to 1977 he was a scholarship student of the Union of Bulgarian Composers in Germany. For two years he taught at the Hochschule fur Musik ”Hans Eisler” in Berlin. From 1980 to 1983 he specialized under Prof. Rut Zehlin in the Academy of Arts in Berlin. Since 1984 he is a freelance composer in Germany.
Tsvetan Denev writes stage, orchestral, instrumental and vocal chamber, choral music, etc. He works actively as a pianist, pedagogue, conductor and composer in Bulgaria, Germany and Morocco. He makes music in different styles – jazz, folk and classics. He published three books in Bulgarian and German languages: Psapho, Let’s Start with the Rabbit, and Concerto for Double Bass and Green Meadow.

Stage music:
White Night – opera (1984); Alice – dance musical (1988).

Works for symphony orchestra:
Symphony (1974); Epitaph for soloists and orchestra, lyrics by Ritsos (1983); Movements (1986); Theme with Variations (1989); Archaica for piano and orchestra (1998).

Works for string orchestra:
Variations (1973).

Chamber Music:
Concertino (1973).

For piano:
Eight Pieces (1989); Miniatures (1989).