Kiril Popov was born in 1955. He graduated in 1975 from the Sofia Theological Seminary, and in 1981 from the Theological Academy. In the summer of 1982, he attended the National Course for Choral Conductors, held in Velingrad under the direction of Prof. Vasil Arnaudov. From September 1 of the same year, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, he was sent as a graduate student to the Moscow Theological Academy. Here he specialized in choral conducting, individually studied harmony and composition with the prominent Russian composer, musicologist and pedagogue Vladimir Martynov and defended his candidate (doctoral) thesis on the topic “Development of the octavo voice in the Russian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches”. At the end of 1984, he graduated from the conducting class at the Moscow Theological Academy with a big concert of the mixed choir in the class and was awarded the “Golden tuning fork” distinction. After returning to Bulgaria, he taught Eastern church singing (1985-1989) and choral singing (1991-2000) at the Sofia Theological Seminary, conducted choirs at the cathedral church “St. Nedelya” – Sofia (assistant conductor 1985-1990 and conductor 1991-2000), and in 1989-1990 he worked as a research assistant at the Church History and Archives Institute under the Bulgarian Patriarchate. In 1987-1988, he completed post-graduate qualification in choral conducting at the Bulgarian State Conservatory (now Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music – Sofia) in the conducting class of Prof. Vasil Arnaudov. This study of his ended with a one-hour exam-concert on 11.11.1988 in the great hall of the conservatory with the performance of church chants by the mixed choir at the Patriarchal Cathedral “St. Alexander Nevsky” (in an expanded composition, which for the first time goes outside the temple). Since March 17, 1986, he has been the conductor of the Sofia priest’s choir. In the summer of 2000, he accepted the priesthood, being ordained a deacon on July 8 and a priest on July 9 by His Eminence the Metropolitan of Ruse (now Patriarch) Neophyte. At first he was appointed as a parish priest in the church “St. Nikolay Mirlikiyski” – Gorna Banya quarter, and later (from 01.02.2004 to 01.11.2013) for the head of the church “St. Nikolay Mirlikiyski” in Sofia. On 09.05.2009, in the same church, with the blessing of the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia, Maxim was awarded the office of “archpriest” of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church again by Metropolitan Neofit of Ruse, and on 02.02.2016, in the church “St. Nedelya” received the office of “steward” from the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan Neophyte of Sofia. Since 01.11.2013 he has been a parish priest in the cathedral church “St. Sunday” in Sofia.
As a conductor, he has released records on gramophone records and a total of eight CDs with the Sofia Priest’s Choir (1992, 1999, 2010 and 2012), the men’s choir at the Cathedral of St. Sunday” (1999 and 2002), the male choir “St. Ioan Rila Miracle Worker” (1994) and the male choir “St. co-apostles Cyril and Methodius” (1997). Many of these and other choirs’ recordings feature his compositions and arrangements of church hymns. He performs concerts at home and abroad with various choirs. He is also engaged in musicological and editorial activities. He has numerous appearances as a music producer, music arranger and performer on church-themed CD and DVD recordings. In 2012, a collection of his compositions “Orthodox choral works” was published. He is a laureate of bulgarian and foreign competitions for composers. Participates as a member of the jury at bulgarian and international choral festivals and competitions. At the end of 2012, he was accepted as a member of the Union of Bulgarian Composers.
He is a holder of the order of the Russian Orthodox Church “Venerable Sergius of Radonezh” – third degree (2014) and the order of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church “Saint Kliment Ohridski” – first degree (2016).

Award-winning choral works:
“Cherubic song” (bishop’s song) for mixed choir – 1983 (1st prize at the 2nd competition for new church chants, Sofia – 1995).
“Worthy of the Assumption” for mixed choir – 1983 (3rd prize at the 3rd competition for new church chants, Sofia – 1996)
“Praise the Lord in heaven” for mixed choir – 1997 (Award of the Union of Bulgarian Composers and Award for a work with the most prominent Bulgarian sonority at the IV competition for new church chants, Sofia – 1997).
“Prayer to the Savior” for mixed choir – 1980, editing – 1998 (II prize and Prize of the Union of Bulgarian Composers at the V competition for new church chants, Sofia – 1999). In 2013, an orchestration was made for a stage performance.
“Let us worship” and “103 psalm” for mixed choir – 2010 (Special prize of the International Festival “Academy of Orthodox Music”, awarded at the 1st International Competition for Composers “St. Roman the Sweet Singer”, St. Petersburg, Russia – 2012 .).
“Hymn of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh” for mixed choir – 2013 (3rd Prize and the Special Prize of the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra, awarded at the 2nd International Competition for Composers “St. Roman Sladkopevets”, St. Petersburg, Russia – 2014 ).
“Penie molebnoe” (11 kondaks from the akathist of St. Peter and Fevronia) for mixed choir – 2015. The song was nominated and performed at the final of the III International Competition for Composers “St. Roman Sladkopevets”, St. Petersburg, Russia – 2016 and the author was awarded an honorary diploma.

Choral church works:
“Today Spring is Fragrant” (spiritual concert) for male and mixed choir – first church chant (1973);
“I have sinned, Save” (spiritual concert) for male and mixed choir (1974);
“Dostoyno Est” No. 1 for male and female chorus (1974);
“Dostoyno Est” No. 2 for male chorus (1974);
“Vospoyu Gospodevi” for male and mixed choir (1975);
Suguba ectenia No. 1 for male and mixed choir (1976);
“Holy God” No. 1 for male and mixed choir (1976);
“Come and rejoice” for male and mixed choir (1977);
“Our Father” for mixed choir with solo tenor (1979);
Velika ectenia No. 1 for Mixed Choir (1979);
“Milost mira” No. 1 for male and mixed choir with solo bass (1980) – in memory of Petar Dinev;
“With us God” for male and mixed choir with canonarch (1981);
Suguba ectenia No. 2 with solo for mixed choir (1981);
“Holy God” No. 2 for mixed choir (1982);
“Cherubic Song” No. 1 (priestly) for male and mixed choir (1983);
Worthy of the Assumption for mixed choir with solo soprano (1983);
Tebe poem for male and mixed choir (1984);
“The Virgin Mary” (Eastern chant, voice 5) and “Budi imya Gospodne” for male and mixed choir (1988);
“Longevity” No. 1 for male and mixed choir (1989);
Suguba ectenia No. 3 for male and mixed choir (1994);
“Come to worship our King God” for male and mixed choir (1996);
“Praise the Lord in Heaven” (participatory verse) for male and mixed choir with solo tenor (1997); “Prayer to the Savior” (wind concert) for reader, soloists and a large mixed choir (1980/1998), Old Bulgarian text: Bishop Konstantin Preslavski (IX-X centuries); “Taste and See” (participatory verse) for male and mixed choir (1999);
“Christmas Praise” (spiritual concert) for male and mixed choir with solo bass and tenor (2000), Old Bulgarian text: Bishop Konstantin Preslavski.
“Glorification of the Nativity” for male and mixed choir with solo baritone (2000);
“From the Canon of the Nativity of Christ”, voice 1 (2000), Old Bulgarian text: St. Kliment Ohridski (IX-X centuries).
“The Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem” (spiritual concert) for male and mixed choir (2001);
“Milost mira” No. 2 for male and mixed choir (2002);
“Praise the Lord in Heaven” No. 2, Voice 8 (2002);
“Holy God” No. 3, Voice 1 (2003);
“Dostoyno est” No. 3, voice 8 for male and mixed choir and unison performance (2003);
Velika ectenia No. 2 for male and mixed choir (2004);
“Praying Virgins” for male and mixed choir (2004);
“Only Son” for male and mixed choir (2004);
“In Your Kingdoms” for male and mixed choir (2004);
“Come Bow Down and Faint” for male and mixed choir (2004);
“Tropar of St. Cyril and Methodius” (2005);
“Cherub Song” No. 2 for male and mixed choir (2005);
“Longevity” No. 2 and No. 3 – two voices (2005);
“All-Sung Virgin Mary” – troparies of the Virgin Mary in Bulgarian (2006); ”
Troparion of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker” (2008);
“Bless the Lord, O my soul” – Ps. 102 for male and mixed choir (2009);
“Otpust” for male and mixed choir (2009);
“Come and worship us and Psalm 103” for male and mixed choir (2010). Popov, Kiril prot. Orthodox choral works. Sofia, 2012;

“Christ is Risen” for male and mixed choir (2012);
“Svete tihiy” for male choir (1983/2012);
“Ne otpushtaeshti” for male and mixed choir (2012);
“Praise of the Bulgarian Patriarch” for male and mixed choir (2013);
“Hymn of Saint Sergius of Radonezh” for male and mixed choir (2013);
“Penie molebnoe” (11 kondak from the akathist of St. Peter and Fevronia) for mixed choir (2015).
Troparion of St. Seraphim of Sofia the Wonderworker” (2016).
“Holy God” No. 4, Voice 2 (2016);
“Holy God” No. 5, Voice 3 (2019);
“Holy God” No. 6 – spacious for male and mixed choir (2019). (2019).
Have mercy on us, Lord, for male and mixed choir (2020).

Spiritual and Secular Choral Songs:
“Spring is Calling” – first composition (1972);
Evening Song (1974);
“Night” (1975);
Volna pesen (1975);
The Hermit (1978);
“Dedication” – a song about the city of Hisarya (1985);
“Hymn of Rev. Dimitrii Basarbovsky” with solo baritone (1985);
“The Lamp of the Saint of Vratza” (1986);
“Mir na zemli” (1988);
“To the Most Holy Patriarch” (1989);
“Easter Game” (1994);
“Flower Song” (1997);
“Goritze, sitna, zelena” (2018);
“Song for the city of Sandanski” (2019).

Articles and Researches:
With holy fervor for our native Church and fatherland. // Church Gazette, 1982, No. 10, 6-8;
May 24 in the Bulgarian courtyard in Moscow. // Church Gazette, 1984, No. 20, p. 5;
About the church singing work of Petar Dinev. // Bulgarian Music, 1989, No. 5, 24-26; See more: Church Gazette, 2009, No. 13, 4-5; Church singing and spirituality. // Bulgarian music, 1990, No. 4, 4-5; See more: Bulgarian Musicology, 2007, No. 3-4, 250-256;
Church singing and spirituality. // Newspaper KemGUKI. Kemerovo, 2010, No. 10, 56-61; Life and work of the music teacher Manasiy Popteodorov. // Church Gazette, 1999, No. 10, p. 8;
Church singing as divine breath (interview). // Church Gazette, 1999, No. 20, p. 4;
Development of church singing during the time of Exarch Joseph. // Spiritual culture, 2004, No. 5, 21-32;
Repentance Post Resurrection (New CD by Metropolitan Neophyte of Ruse). // Church Gazette, 2006, No. 8, p. 3;
Prominent Varna musicians from the time of Metropolitan Simeon. // Amvon, Varna, 2007, No. 3, 11-13;
Living beauty. // Church Gazette, 2008, No. 21, p. 7;
The 130th anniversary of the choir at the capital cathedral “St. Nedelya”. // Church Gazette, 2009, No. 14, pp. 1 and 7;
Worthy Bulgarian participation in a Russian Orthodox choir festival. // Church Gazette, 2010, No. 12, p. 3;
A remarkable performance at the St. Petersburg International Festival. // Church Gazette, 2011, No. 19, pp. 1 and 3;
Church singing – breath of worship (interview). // World, 2011, No. 4, 60-65; About the creative process of the church composer (interview). // Church Gazette, 2012, No. 12, p. 6;
We are responsible for the children of Mother Bulgaria (interview). // Uchitelsko delo, 2013, No. 10, p. 8;
Being a Christian is the highest good (interview). // Christianity and Culture, 2013, No. 5, 135-140;
Orthodox Elen church chants. // Church Gazette, 2013, No. 8, p. 7; Intonational and structural features of the flag chant. – In: Academic Forum Integral Music Theory 2013, S., 2014, 210-218;
Venerable Sergius of Radonezh and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the church singing tradition of Orthodox Russia. – In: Venerable Sergius of Radonezh – 700 years. S., 2014, pp. 9-41;
Church singing in Bulgaria (eastern tradition) at the time of Exarch Joseph I. // Church Gazette, 2015, No. 12, 4-5; Continuation: Church Journal, 2015, No. 14, 6-7;

Graceful choral works. – In: Life and Chant – Collection of Orthodox Chants (Musical adaptation and notation Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte). S., 2015, pp. 5-9;
Bulgarian chant as a spiritual and cultural link between Bulgaria and Russia. – In: Russia – Bulgaria Symbols of spiritual unity. S., 2015, pp. 52-58; See more: Bulgarian song as a spiritual and cultural connection between Bulgaria and Russia.
The ecclesiastical works of P. I. Tchaikovsky and S. V. Rachmaninoff. Church Gazette, 2018, No. 14, p. 6; Continuation: Church Gazette, 2018, No. 15, p. 7;

Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Church Gazette, 2019, No. 16, p. 3; Patriarchal blessing of the Bulgarian Church Municipality in Vienna. Church Gazette, 2019, No. 22, p. 8;
Kiril Popov participated in a church music congress in Moscow – 24-26.10.2019. II International Congress of Church Conductors and Singers. Church Gazette, 2020, No. 2, p. 8.

Literature about Kiril Popov:
Nikolova, R. The Orthodox choral works of Archpriest Kiril Popov. S., 2012; Panayotova, D. Prestigious music award for our priest. // Church Gazette, 2012, No. 8, p. 3; Panayotova, D. Prot. Kiril Popov – the Bulgarian laureate of the 1st International Competition for Composers “Roman Sladkopevets”.

Bozhikova, M. Spiritual musical heights. // Church Gazette, 2014, No. 16, p. 1 and 3;

Yovchev, R. Distinction for Bulgarian church music. // Church Gazette, 2014, No. 16, p. 2; Another prize at a composer competition for Kiril Popov.

Discography (CD) of Kiril Popov:
Chants for Lent and Easter / Sofia Priest Choir, cond. by Archpriest Kiril Popov, Sofia, 1992/2017;
MUSIK DER OSTKIRHEN / MANNERCHOR “YOAN RILSKI – DER WUNDERTATER” SOFIA, Dirigent Kiril Popov, Berlin, 1994;
2000 years since the birth of Our Saviour Jesus Christ – The Holy Liturgy / The Choir of „St. St. Cyril and Methodius, Equal to the Apostles”, cond. by K. Popov, Sofia, 1997;
SOFIA PRIEST CHOIR, Cond. by K. Popov, 1999;
MALE CHOIR OF SVETA NEDELYA CATHEDRAL SOFIA, cond. by K. Popov, 1999;
In Praise of the Nativity of Our Lord / Male Choir of Sveta Nedelya Cathedral Sofia, cond. by K. Popov, 2000;
EASTERN ORTHODOX CHANTS BRIEF CHANTS FROM THE OCTOECHOS / SOFIA PRIEST CHOIR, cond. by Archpriest Kiril Popov, 2010;
ORTHODOX CHURCH CHANTS FROM THE TOWN OF ELENA / SOFIA PRIEST CHOIR, cond. by Archpriest Kiril Popov, 2012.