Emil Georgiev


composer, arranger, conductor, pianist

29.10.1926 – 19.04.1992Gorna Oriahovitsa – Bulgaria

Conducting under Professor Assen Dimitrov in 1953. He conducted the Pop Music Orchestra at the Concert Directorate and the orchestra of the Bulgarian Army Theatre (1955-60). He was the first permanently appointed conductor of the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio (1960-62). He worked as chief conductor and later as chief artistic director of the music ensembles at the Sofia Town Council (1964-71), he was among the founders of the Sofia Band. He was also chief artistic director of the Variety Ensemble of the Bulgarian Armed Forces (1971-74) and artistic director of the vocal group at the Mayakovsky Ensemble. He contributed a lot to the creation and the development of the professional Bulgarian pop music after the 1950s. One of his first songs, Chico from Puerto Rico, performed by the actor Neycho Popov won popularity when performed by Lea Ivanova. It can still be listened to in its original or cover versions. In 1953 he composed, arranged and conducted the music to the First Hornet’s Performance (together with Atanas Boyadjiev) in cooperation with Valeri Petrov, Hristo Ganev and Vasil Aprilov. This performance of the young actors of the future Theatre for Satire produced by Stefan Sarchadjiev was such a success that the orchestra was soon transformed into a Big Band at the Concert Directorate and initiated the concerts in the BIAD Hall and Bulgaria Hall which were essential for the development of the of the Bulgarian pop and jazz music in the 1950s.

Together with Moris Aladjem and Ivan Staykov, he was among the first professional arrangers and had a huge amount of influence over the arrangers of the next two decades.

He wrote music to documentaries, shorts and feature films; theatre music; pop dance pieces and instrumentals for jazz band; chamber and choral music, etc.

He published the textbook Music Acoustics (1975; 86).

Creativity

Pop songs:
Insomnia performed by Yordanka Hristova (first prize at the Golden Orpheus Festival, 1975);
Blue Evening performed by K. Semov;
Songs from the film Two Victories performed by M. Nikolova;
Evening Song;
Good Night;
In Love, etc.

Film music:
Two Victories, directed by B. Sharaliev (1956);
The Last Round, directed by L. Kirkov (1961).