Kostadin Genchev was born in 1969 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. At the age of 10 he started playing the kaval and in 1988 graduated Fillip Koutev secondary music school in Kotel, Bulgaria. In 2016 he obtained his Master’s degree from the Musical Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria, majoring in Composing in the class of Prof. Krassimir Taskov.

His career in different music gtoups started in 1990 with the Ensemble for Folklore Singing and Dancing, Sliven, Bulgaria. For a short while he worked at the Filip Koutev Folklore Ensemble, and from 1993 he has been a soloist, orchestra member, composer and arranger with the Folk Orchestra at the Bulgarian National Radio. Since then Kostadin Genchev has authored over 800 arrangements of folklore songs and over 100 instrumental pieces specifically for this orchestra. He has also worked in the instrumental group at the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices choir, travelling with them and taking part in hundreds of concerts around Europe, Asia and Latin America, from Brazil to Hong Kong.

In addition to BNR and the “Mystery of Bulgarian Voices”, Kostadin Genchev’s career is also connected with the biggest and most interesting innovative projects of the Bulgarian ethnic scene. His first project in 1995 was filmed by BNT in the film of the same name “Dream Journey”. In 1998, BNT again filmed a film with songs and instrumental works in arrangements by Kostadin Genchev: “In youth they go crazy”. In the same year, he began his successful collaboration, which continues today, with Nikolay Ivanov from the group “OM” in numerous concerts and recordings of film music.

In 2002, Kostadin Genchev and Kiril Dobrev founded the band “BULGARA” – an exceptional phenomenon on the Bulgarian ethnic scene. BULGARA performs concerts in the country and abroad and participates in all Bulgarian ethno-jazz festivals such as “Apolonia”, Bansko Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest-Smolyan; Sofia Jazz Peak; Plovdiv jazz evenings and others. In 2005, “BULGARA” won the “Askeer” award for music for the theater production “Divite” by the actor and director Georgi Kirkelanov. In 2006, they released their first album “Mecha Svadava”, and in 2013, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the founding of the group, their second album “Bulgara Live”.

The successful and fruitful collaboration of Kostadin Genchev with Kiril Dobrev is not only within the framework of the ethnic project “BULGARA”, but also in the music for television films and folklore performances. In 2006, the two wrote the music for the film “Beyond the Line”, commissioned by BNT. And in 2009 – the music for the “Magic of the Dance” performance by the “Chinari” ensemble, presented in the crowded Hall 1 of the NDK in Sofia. A few years later, K. Genchev independently wrote music for another “Chinari” show: “Bolyarite na tanza” (2013). In the same year, he also wrote the folklore part of the music for Neshka Robeva’s performance (National Art) “THE MYSTERY OF ENYOVDEN”.

Kostadin Genchev’s constant interest in ethnic music in its latest forms inspired him for his second ethnic project in collaboration with Dimitar Hristov – the instrumental quartet “DIVA REKA”, which appeared in the world in 2008 to create acoustic music based on Bulgarian folklore. “DIVA REKA” performs numerous concerts in Austria, Germany and Hungary. In 2010, they also released their own album, simply called “DIVA REKA”.

Kostadin Genchev writes music and arrangements of Bulgarian folk songs for various folk groups – his works written for the “EVA Quartet” are especially famous. As a cabal, he also participated in the recordings of their CD “Arkata” (2012) with Hector Zazu.

K. Genchev also writes music for the Northern ensemble for folk songs and dances – Pleven, for the Thracian ensemble for folk songs and dances – Yambol, the folk dance formation “Ethnoritham” – Plovdiv, etc.
He has lasting interests in the field of film music and as a soloist-orchestrator: he has repeatedly worked in recordings of the film music of the composer Alex Nushev, as well as in a number of European productions, recording his music with the Symphony Orchestra of the BNR.

In the creative biography of Kostadin Genchev there are also a number of international ethnic projects. In 2000, he participated in the French project “Odyssey”, in which musicians from France, Hungary, Macedonia and Ireland work together. His work with the singer Melany O’Reilly also connects him with Ireland, with whom he searches for the symbiosis between Bulgarian and Celtic music. K. Genchev also worked with the French musician from “Odyssey” Antoine Simoni in the “B-project” formation. They are doing a series of tours in France and a CD recording session.

Kostadin Genchev is a frequent guest musician (kaval) in the recordings of songs by a number of pop artists and ethnic projects. Particularly important and successful is his presence as a cavalier, composer and arranger in the ethnic project “BELONOGA” (by his wife Gergana Dimitrova – singer in the choir “The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices” and “Eva Quartet”) and their first album “Through the eyes of the sun” ” 2013

He is the winner of the 2005 “ASKEER” awards for theater music with the group “BULGARA” and the Second Prize of the National Competition for writing a symphonic work in unequal rhythms “7/8” – 2016.

Kostadin Genchev is a musical mentor and composer of the TV show “Play Me” on BNT for seven seasons now.

Discography
2006 “Bear Wedding” (Kuker Music) Bulgara group
2010 “Diva Reka” (Gega) group Diva Reka
2012 “Arkata” (Ellen Music) Eva Quartet with Hector Zazu / participation
2013 “Bulgara live” Bulgara group
2013 “Through the eyes of the sun” (Elen music) ethnic project “Belonoga”

For solo kaval and orchestra:
“Dobrevska Rosenitsa from Straldzha”; “Paidushko Horo”; “Vulkanina song and rhinchenitsa”; “Kurucheniya musicians”; “Maccali Rosenitsa”; “Thracian buenake”; “Mominsko horo”; “Three songs from Strandja” and others.

Dance works:
“Living Roots” – ensemble “Ethnorthum”; “The Balls of Dance” – ensemble “Chinari”; “Legend of the Mystic Gold Mask” – ensemble “Chinari”; “Renaissance Stories” – ensemble “Chinari”; “Women’s Shoppe Dance” – Northwestern Ensemble Pleven; “The Mystery of Enyovden” (folklore part) – Ensemble “National Art” by Neshka Robeva.

Vocals:
“Senses” – Eva quartet; “Kalino Rado” – Eva Quartet; “Pomaks” – Eva Quartet; “Triptych” – for mixed choir; “Belasitsa” – for soprano and piano; “Pirin Morning” – for tenor and piano; “Sister of Pirin” – for baritone and piano; over 800 arrangements of folk songs.

Works – Classical Music:
“Allegro vigoroso” – for a string quartet; “Scherzo” – for piano; “Sonatina” – for orchestra; “Sonata” – for orchestra; “Rondo” – for orchestra; “Symphonic Suite” Amateur Games”- for orchestra; “Ethno-Symphonic Tales” – Performance.

Ethno music:
BULGARA Group:

“The Wild”; “Nestinarsko”; “Balkan Flamenco”; “Sweet Tug”; “Unes”; “Gara-Bulgara”; “Lapad”; “Merry Jore” and others.

Wild River Group:

“Burgo Ruchenitsa”; “Mad Work”; “Merry Nine”; “Tullip” and others.

Ethno Music:
“Caravan”; “Irisch Mamaliga”; “Curve Rain”; “Eastern Ballad”; “Legs near Ogosta”; “Pirinski megdan”; “Gurglejski Kushchemis”; “St. George’s Three Times” “Concert Hall for Three Kavala”; “Mominsko horo”; “Strandzha melodies”; “Strandzha Mountain”; Three-Kava Suite; “Thracian Wedding Rosenitsa”; “Music picture” Strandzha “; “Song of the Self-Direction” and others.

Music for the film “Beyond the Line” of BNT, director Iliya Dobrev.