Georgi Kostov graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1966 majoring in Composition under Professor _Pancho Vladigerov_. He specialised at the Moscow Conservatoire. Since 1966 he has been teaching Harmony at the State Academy of Music. Currently, he is Professor of Harmony and Rector (since 1989). He was Secretary General of the Union of Bulgarian Composers (1975-85).

He was Minister of Culture (1995-96).

He composed stage music; works for symphony, wind and string orchestra; chamber music. He also wrote over 1,000 children’s, choral and pop songs, some of which became very popular, like Songs of the Animals; My Childhood; The Children of the World, etc. These songs were awarded at The Red Carnation Festival in Sochi, the Sweet-Voiced Lark Festival, The Golden Orpheus Festival, the Spring Radio Competition, etc. He also won the Melody of the Year Award. He was awarded for his Clarinet Concerto as early as 1959. He was prizewinner at the international competitions in Paris (1972), Sofia (1974), Berlin (1976), Helsinki (1969), Trento (1991), etc. His works were recorded by the Bulgarian National Radio, the Bulgarian National Television and Balkanton.

Stage music:

Operas:

Monastery Misfortunes (The Woman with the Golden Hair and Misfortune), diptych after Elin Pelin, libretto by Pavel Gerdjikov (premiered in Blagoevgrad, 1989).

Ballet:

The Miracles of Totoban (premiered in Plovdiv, 1983).

Musicals:

The Four Twins after Pancho Panchev (premiered at the State Music Theatre in Sofia, 1997);
Casanova (premiered at the State Music Theatre in Sofia, 2002).

Choral-orchestral:

Cantatas:

Party, We Are Proud of You (1975);
He Lives (1976).

For symphony orchestra:

Youth Overture;
Three Diaphonic Dances;
Rhythmic Movements;
Divertimento “Antiphon Dialogues” for jazz and symphony orchestra (1974).

Concertos for:

clarinet (1958);
French horn, string orchestra and tympani.

Concertino for viola and orchestra (1965).

For wind orchestra:

Rachenitza (1976);
Grotesque for trombone and orchestra (1981).

Hallo, Assembly of Peace, children’s suite-rhapsody (1986).

For string orchestra:

Poem for trumpet, string orchestra and tympani (1966);
Concerto for trumpet, string orchestra and percussion (1970).

Concerto grosso (1986).

Chamber music:

Vocalise for soprano, violin, viola and vibraphone;
Graceful Movements for percussion;
Rondo and Concert Piece for trombone and piano.

For piano:

Obsessive Movement.

Awarded pop songs at:

The Red Carnation Festival in Sochi:

Lin The Vietnamese (second prize, 1969).

The Golden Orpheus Festival:

Stay with Me, performed by Lili Ivanova (first prize, 1976);
Gardens of Love, performed by Emil Dimitrov (first prize, 1980).

Melody of the Year 1968:

I Can’t Live Without My Radio, performed by Lili Ivanova.

Spring Radio Competition:

Spring Voices, performed by Signal (second prize, 1980);
A Journey, performed by Mimi Ivanova (second prize, 1981).