Yanko Miladinov studied Piano with Professor Jeny Kovacheva. At the age of 16 he was prizewinner at the first national festival as a pianist. He adhered to pop music in the early 1960s. He played with different orchestras (from trio to combo); he made music arrangements for pop music bands. At the end of 1969 he was appointed pianist soloist at the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio where he worked for more than 40 years. He had an impressive sound recording activity with the ensemble. In 1998 he became its conductor. There are over 1,000 pop and jazz pieces by Bulgarian and foreign authors registered in the BNR sound library. His concert appearances in the country and abroad are also numerous. The most prominent bulgarian musicians and singers recorded and performed with the Maestro and his Big Band.
Y. Miladinov has participated in international jazz festivals in Bansko, Niš, Zagreb, Frankfurt, Ruse and others. As a guest conductor, he conducted the Big Band of the Romanian National Radio. The concert was held in their concert hall and was broadcast live on international radio.
He has been composing since the early 1970s. His first recorded song was “Evening Beach”, performed by Mimi Ivanova (1971). He is the author of more than 250 songs and orchestral pieces, in some of which he uses the intonation richness of Bulgarian folklore (“Lazarki”, “Pirinsky Vodi”, “Nazdravitsa”, “Bulgarian Sofra”). He is the author of more than 300 arrangements for big band, some of which have been awarded prizes. In 1983, a television film-creative portrait entitled “The Most Beautiful Ray” was made. Apart from Bulgaria, his songs were released on gramophone records in the former Soviet Union, Cuba, GDR, etc. Member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Bulgarian Composers (2014-2017).

Awarded pop songs at:
The Golden Orpheus Festival:

I’m Power and Tenderness, performed by Yordanka Hristova (second prize, 1976);
Autumn, performed by Biser Kirov (third prize, 1978).

The Spring Radio Competition:

Spring Mood (1977) and Streams, performed by Lili Ivanova and Asen Gargov (first prize, 1978);
Password: Spring, performed by Stefka Berova and Yordan Marchinkov (second prize, 1979);
Are We Going to Live Such a Spring?, performed by Margarita Hranova (1974);
The Love Season, performed by the Rhyton Duet (third prize, 1985).

Melody of the Year:

The Most Beautiful Ray, performed by Lili Ivanova and Asen Gargov (Prize of the TV Public, 1977);
Peace (the prize of the Union of Bulgarian Composers, 1985).

The Songs about Varna Festival:

Back to Odessos (1974).

The Burgas and the Sea Festival:

Windmill (1977).

Songs about Sofia:

“Sofia My Love” (1979) – the award of the “Evening News” newspaper and UBC, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the declaration of Sofia as the capital of Bulgaria
On 25.01.2008, he was awarded the Grand Prize of the BNR “Sirak Skitnik” for his contribution to the art of music.
On 24.05.2013, BNT Channel 1 broadcasted the Jubilee concert under the conductorship of the Maestro and 50 years on stage with the BNR Big Band and soloists.