Nikola Starchev graduated from the Instrumental Faculty of the State Academy of Music in 1960. He played in the Vidin Symphony Orchestra (1960-63), the Chamber Symphony Orchestra of Tunis (1963-65), the Opera Symphony Orchestra of Cairo (1965-71). Concurrently he taught at the State Institute of Arabian Music.

Upon his return to Bulgaria, he joined the Ensemble of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. He was leader of a vocal group at the cultural club Slavyanska Beseda in Sofia. Since 1980 he has taken an active part in the International Workshop of Contemporary Music Composers in Bosfil (Switzerland).

He composed symphony music; chamber opuses; choral songs. In the1950s he composed his first works, which were pieces for piano and for violin, songs too. His works composed in the 1960s and 1970s were performed by the symphony orchestra and other performers in Cairo. During the period 1975-85 he composed choral songs for a variety of choral ensembles. He took an active part in the children’s song festival Sladkopoina Chuchuliga (Sweet-voiced Lark) in Burgas. In 1981 he won the festival’s special prize for the song ”Owl”.

Works for symphony orchestra:
Spring Poem;
Concerto for double bass (1959);
Heroic Poem (1961);
Concerto for oboe (1962);
Fantasy for oboe and orchestra on three Arabic themes;
Symphony poem “Heroes of the Arabic Peoples” (1970).
Variations for clarinet and orchestra.

Works for chamber orchestra:
Prelude and Scherzo for violin, viola and chamber orchestra (1964).

Chamber Music:
Wind Quartet;
Suite for violoncello;
Trio for strings;
Sonata for clarinet and piano;
Scherzo for five instruments.

For piano: Variations (1958).

Choral songs:
Faith; October Spring; Night in the Camp, all to lyrics by M. Spasov;

Kopnenie (Longing), on a poem by Peyo Yavorov;
Dravche, lyrics by K. Konstantinov, etc.

Children’s song collections:
Forest Cock (1981); Under the Sky of Thrace (1983), both to lyrics by Y. Papazova.