Pavel Stefanov studied Composition with Hornik and Novak at the Prague Conservatoire (1916-18). Upon his return, he worked as conductor at the Renaissance Theatre and at the Free Theatre. In 1918 he begin giving symphony concerts with the Guardsmen Orchestra. In 1921 he continued his study with Novak at the Composition School of the Prague Conservatoire and graduated in 1923. The same year he was appointed chorus master and conductor at the Sofia Opera. During the academic year 1923-24 he taught at the State Academy of Music. He cooperated with the Folk Music Section at the National Ethnographic Museum in Sofia (1926-30).

he noted down over 5,500 traditional songs from the Northern and some regions from the Southern Bulgaria. Part of them was published in the collections of Vassil Stoin. In 1930 he was sent to a one-year business trip in view to promote the Bulgarian music in former Czechoslovakia. There he lectured and performed the Fairytale by Petko Staynov and the Bulgarian Suite by Pancho Vladigerov with the orchestra of Radio Prague.

He returned to Bulgaria in 1935 and worked as a military orchestra bandmaster in Shumen and Sofia up to 1955 when he retired. He conducted civil and school orchestras. In 1936 he toured Greece with the male voices choir Rodina.

He composed solo and choral secular and sacred songs; works for symphony orchestra; marches and rrangements for wind orchestra; a string quartet.

Works for symphony orchestra:
Solemn Overture (1923);
Scherzo (1923);
Symphony.

For chamber ensemble:
String Quartet (1923).

Choral songs:
Cocks Are Singing (1931);
Hadji Dimitar – ballad, on the poem by Hristo Botev (1936);
Armenians, on the poem by Peyo Yavorov (1936).