Milen Kukosharov is a Bulgarian composer, pianist, arranger and performer. He graduated from the NSMD ”Dobrin Petkov” with a degree in piano. Even then, he won the National Competition ”Svetoslav Obretenov” for Young Instrumentalists. He continued his education at the National Academy of Music in Sofia and the ”Neofit Rilski” South-West University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in piano under the famous Bulgarian pianist, composer and arranger Antoni Donchev. Since 2022, he has been working as a lecturer at the National Academy of Music ”Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”.

Over the years he has worked with various foreign and Bulgarian music groups and performers, including: Truth Hurts, De Phazz, Wayne Marshall, Matt Cooper(Incognito), Al Bano, Toto Cutugno, Umberto Tozzi, Tito Puente JR, Frankie Morales (Tito Puente), etc. Among the Bulgarian artists with whom Milen Kukosharov has had joint projects, the names of Lili Ivanova, Stefan Valdobrev, Grafa, Maria Ilieva, Orlin Pavlov, Orlin Goranov and many others stand out.

As a jazz performer and composer, Milen Kukosharov has worked with Jean Marie Ecay (Billy Cobham), Conrad Herwig, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Teodosi Spasov, Kamelia Todorova, Hilda Kazasyan, Hristo Yotsov, Simeon Shterev, Stoyan Yankulov, Infinity, Mihail Yosifov, Vili Stoyanov and others. He is the arranger of the solo concerts of Maria Ilieva and Orlin Pavlov. Together with Veselin Veselinov – Eko (double bass) he is a member of the chamber duo “Das Weltschmerz DueTT”, with whom they created the albums “ImproviSatie” and “Consequences”.

In recent years, he has expanded his professional interests as a composer in the fields of classical music, theater and cinema. Among his more significant works are: “Chromatic Fantasy” (a piece for piano and string orchestra) recorded and performed at the Musikverein – Vienna, “Concerto for Two Trumpets and Orchestra”, “Spring Tales” (a cycle of chamber pieces for cello and piano), as well as a number of pieces for big band, which he performed in an author’s concert with the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio. Milen Kukosharov is the author of the music for over 30 theater performances, and for his work as a theater composer in 2023 he received the “Askeer” Award for the music for the performance “Three Sisters” by A.P. Chekhov – “Vazrazhdane” Theater, the “Icar” Award for the best puppet theater performance for the performance “Garvin the Magician” – OKT Blagoevgrad and the “Askeer” Award for the best solo performance for “Live” – a solo performance by Alexandra Sarchadzhieva.

Fantasie hromantique – piece for piano and string orchestra;
Fishing, Lost in someone else, Poem for a candy – a cycle of pieces for cello and piano with the general title Spring tales;
Concerto for two trumpets and orchestra in C major;
Blank, Chaw baan, Morning Waltz, Woman on the street – pieces for solo piano;
Under the yellow leaves, Fairy tale, Saturday evening, Tango fantasy, Don’t be sad – arrangements of songs by Yosif Tsankov for solo trombone and string orchestra;
Two pieces for brass quintet

Jazz pieces:
But a dream, Little song for mom, The wind of change, Night Knights, The shy girl.

He is also the author of many other pieces for various jazz ensembles.

Pieces for Big Band:
Bucket of hopes, Mi Hermanos, Mr. Liolev, Olive tree, Windharmonium, Garvin mc Mag, Fellini samba, etc.

Music for theater performances:

“Antichrist” – Ivan Vazov National Theater;
“Mother Courage” – Aleko Konstantinov Satirical Theater;
“Three Sisters” (Askeer Award) – Vazrazhdane Theater;
“Crimes of the Heart” – Nikolay Binev Youth Theater;
“Summer and Smoke” – Small City Theater Behind the Canal; “Mr. Night” – Theater 199;
“For Love”, “My Evening, Your Night”, “A Place Called Elsewhere”, “Nirvana”, etc.