Alexander Yossifov is son of Yosko Yossifov. He graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1966 majoring in Composition under Professor Pancho Vladigerov, Opera and Symphony Conducting under Professor Konstantin Iliev and Piano under Professor Zheni Kovacheva. Professor at the State Academy of Music and at the New Bulgarian University (since 2000).

He wrote over 1,500 compositions in all music genres: 20 stage music works among which operas and ballets with 45 premieres in Bulgaria and abroad and over 800 performances altogether; 12 cantatas; 60 symphonic works and instrumental concertos; chamber, instrumental and choral music; music for children; over 600 pop songs and 300 folksong and folk dance arrangements. He was awarded 19 prizes at composition competitions in Italy (twice), Greece (twice), Poland (twice), Japan (three times prizewinner and winner of the Grand Prix at the Competition for Piano Duos, 1999), Germany, the Czech Republic, former Yugoslavia, Turkey, Russia and Bulgaria (twice prizewinner at The Golden Orpheus Festival and winner of the first prize at the third edition of the national symphony orchestra composition competition Ballet Music in 7/8 Time Beat, 2003). He is member of the International Piano Duo Association in Japan. His works were performed and recorded for radio and TV programmes in many countries. In 2002 his Sinfonia Concertante for 40 hands (two piano duos and ten grand pianos) was premiered at the Metropol Hall in Tokyo. Substantial part of his work was published. He was awarded the Honorary Cross for Art of the Polish Ministry of Culture. He is President of the Wien Club at the Embassy of Austria in Sofia. He also chairs the National Music Council at the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture.

Stage music:

Operas and operettas:

Sailor’s Word – operetta (1965, Ruse);
Back to the Beginning – opera-oratorio (1976, Stara Zagora);
Khan Krum Yuvigi (1980, 1981 Sofia Opera, Bolshoi Theatre);
Golden Spear – comic opera (1982; 1983, Sofia, State Music Theatre);
Arco Iris (1983, 1984, Sofia Opera).

Children’s operas:

The Miraculous Adventures of Toshko from Africa (1981; 1982, Stara Zagora);
Robinson Crusoe (1982; 1985, Stara Zagora);
Misadventurers (1986; 1987, Sofia, National Palace of Culture);
With Big Brother Nikolay at the Zoo – TV musical (1986);
The Miraculous Adventures of Maya the Bee (1988; 1990, Sofia, National Palace of Culture);
Max and Moritz (1992);
The Miraculous Adventures of Pinocchio in the Unknown Town (1994);
The Travel of Dr Doolitle in Far Africa (1998).

Ballets:

The Snow-white and The Seven Dwarfs, ballet for children (1997).

h3(red-dot). Choral-orchestral:

Oratorios:

For soloists, choir and symphony orchestra:
The Green Tree (1966);
The Big White Road (1970);
Back to the Beginning (1975).

Towards the 21st Century for readers, soloists, choir, 2 piano duos, strings and percussion (1998).

For symphony orchestra:

Symphonies:

Symphony №1 (1968);
Symphony №2 (1969);
Symphony №3 for solo bass and symphony orchestra (1970);
Symphony №4 (1975);
Symphony №5 Proto-Bulgarians (1980);
Symphony №6 Polyphony (1992) (also in a version for chamber orchestra, 1992).

Overtures:

Revolution (1966);
Youth Overture (1975);
Children of Our Planet (1983).

Toccata (1992).

Pagane, the Priestess ballet music (2003).

Concertos for:

Symphony orchestra:

Symphony №1 (1978);
Symphony №2 (1981).

Two pianos and symphony orchestra:

Symphony №1 (1973);
Symphony №2 (1989).

Piano and symphony orchestra:

Symphony №1 (1972);
Symphony №2 (1976);
Symphony №3 (1992);
Symphony №4 (1998).

Violin and symphony orchestra:

Symphony №1 (1979);
Symphony №2 (1983).

Simphonie concertante for:
violoncello and orchestra (1984);
two piano duos and orchestra (1996);
40 hands (two piano duos and ten grand pianos) (2000).

For string orchestra:

Concerto (1984);
Simphony Breve (1988).

Prelude and Fugue:
1 (1997);
2 (1998);
3 (1999).

Concertos for:

piano duo and orchestra 2 (1992);
violin, violoncello and orchestra (1993);
flute and orchestra (1994);
kaval and orchestra (1996);
oboe and orchestra (1996).

Three concertinos for piano duo and orchestra.

Chamber music:

For piano ensemble:

Canon and Toccata for two grand pianos for 16 hands (1997).

Simfonietta Antica for six hands (1996);
Happy Echo for six hands (1998).

For piano duo:

Prelude and Fugue:
1 (1997);
2 for two piano duos (1997);
3 (after Bach) (1998);
4 Chromatic (1998);
5 Phrygian, (1999);
6 Archaic (1999).

Variations on Hubava si, moya goro (My Beautiful Forest) (1987);
Ballad (1988);
Eight concert pieces for two piano duos (1997);
Sonata (1998);
Fantasia concertante for left hand and piano duo (1988);
Eight Concert Pieces (1999);
Rondo-virtuoso BIS (1999);
Prelude “The Country of the Rising Sun” (1999).

For piano:

Sonata (1976);
Alphabet for the Youngest Pianists (52 pieces, 38 studies);
Rachenitza (1991);
Horo (1991);
Elegy (1991);
Pastoral (1991);
Proto-Bulgarian Dance (1991);
Impression (1991);
Country Dance (1991);
Toccata Virtuosa (1991).

Vocal music:

For soprano and piano:

The Seasons of My Soul – cycle of 12 songs after poems by Eva Krist (1996).

For tenor and piano:

Ave Maria (1998);
Probudna pesen (Awakening Song) for bass and piano after Hristo Yasenov (1999);
To My Country, on a poem by Nikolay Liliev (1999).

For bass and piano: Cycle of five songs (1993).

Music to the feature films:

The Dash, directed by Rashko Uzunov (1972);
This Wonderful Life, directed by Maria Ruseva (1974);
Beginning of the Day, directed by Dimitar Petrov (1975);
Under One Sky, directed by Iscander Hamraev (1981): The Russian Consul, directed by Nina Minkova (1981).