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| .:: Patron ::. |
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Philip Kutev
(1903 - 1982)
Philip Kutev is an emblematic figure of Bulgarian culture of music: a symbol of patriotism and self-confidence for modern Bulgaria. His work as composer and creator of the first professional folklore ensemble, which was named after him, makes him the most influential Bulgarian musician and composer in world music. |
"Philip Kutev inspires life in Bulgarian
folklore; he creates an entirely new genre
of stage art"…"with cosmic sounds". "Folklore gives him freedom…to create
the newest, to be the pioneer in turning
folklore into stage art". "It's due to his activity that today
we can enjoy the phenomenon named
Mystery of Bulgarian Voices or Bulgarian polyphony…" Tsukamoto Chiharo
"Seven Seas" - Japan, October 2000
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| .:: History of the School ::. |
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The first secondary folklore school in Europe.
Philip Kutev National School of Folk Arts is situated in the little town of Kotel in the picaresque Stara Planina Mountain. It was founded on October, 2nd 1967 and was the first secondary school for teaching Bulgarian folklore singing and instrumental music in Europe. It gives an opportunity of introducing Bulgarian folklore to foreigners, as well as to Bulgarians, and makes them feel Bulgarian spirit and culture. |
Since its establishment in 1967 to 2004 its name was Philip Kutev Secondary Music School. It was renamed into Philip Kutev National School of Folk Arts (NSFA) with order No, RD-14-106 from May 5th, 2004 signed by the Bulgarian Minister of Education.
The school has a lovely basis for education and boarding.
The school complex includes:
- Concert hall for 200 people
- Dance halls
- Music library
- 12 educational studies with pianos
- Boarding house with a big dining room
- Hotel part for tourists and guests
- School Program
Philip Kutev National School of Folk Arts teaches the following specialties: Kaval (Bulgarian wind wood instrument); Tambura (Bulgarian stringed instrument); Gadulka (Bulgarian bowed instrument); Gaida (Bulgarian national bag-pipe); Bulgarian folklore singing; Bulgarian folklore dancing; Production and repair of Bulgarian handmade folklore instruments. The school has a five-year-long course of education. The curriculum includes general and special musical school subjects. The students are taught Bulgarian folklore music and piano lessons. The teachers are highly qualified specialists. All the students are obliged to take part in one or more school orchestras and ensembles (vocal, instrumental, vocal-instrumental and dance). The groups are different in size; they can include 7, 14, 22, 35 or 45 people. The students from Philip Kutev National School of Folk Arts participate in different concerts, festivals and competitions in the country and abroad.
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| .:: Headmasters of the School ::. |
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Vladidmir Vladimirov
Headmaster from 1967 to 1972
Vladimir Vladimirov got his higher education in Sofia. He worked for the Bulgarian National Radio. He was a close friend to the eminent folklorist Georgi Boyadzhiev and this made him throw his energy in the field of Bulgarian national folklore and be permanently committed to it. |
Vladimir Vladimirov became the first headmaster of today's Philip Kutev National School of Folk Arts (then Secondary Music School) in Kotel. He not only laid the foundations of the school in1967, but also made exceptionally great efforts to help the school in its first steps and to win its recognition throughout the country. After his five prolific years in the school, he returned to Sofia and his work for the National Radio.
Today Vladimir Vladimirov is retired and lives in Sofia.
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Georgi Boyadzhiev
Headmaster from 1972 to 1977
Georgi Boyadzhiev was one of the remarkable citizens of the town of Sliven. His knowledge and his care of preservation and development of Bulgarian musical folklore were unsurpassed. He worked for the Bulgarian National Radio for many years and at the end of his career, tireless and inexhaustible; he became the second headmaster of Philip Kutev Secondary Music |
School. His rich experience and his great knowledge let him give a new stimulus to the development of the educational institution, to create new specialists in it. Georgi Boyadzhiev left his headmaster's post only a few years before his death. His future biographers would have to devote an undoubtedly great part of his biography to the time he spent in the famous educational centre in the town of the Bulgarian national revival.
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Stoyan Chobanov
Headmaster from 1977 to 1982
He was a famous kaval player, well-known not only in Sliven and its neighborhood, but also throughout Bulgaria. He was born in the village of Terziysko, district of Karnobat on March 10th, 1928. He was among the founders and the first teachers of Philip Kutev Secondary Music School in Kotel, the people who did their best to promote it and help its dream way to success. |
Stoyan Chobanov took up the headmasters post from Georgi Boyadzhiev, years after he had started teaching kaval in the school. He continued to help the development and managed to reach a new level in the teaching and pedagogical activities of the institution. Today the third headmaster of Philip Kutev Secondary Music School is greatly interested in its problems, despite his old age and failing health.
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Georgi Penev
Headmaster from 1982 to 1992
Born on July 5th, 1953 in the town of Straldzha, district of Burgas, Georgi Penev was the first headmaster belonging to the generation of graduates who studied and graduated from the school in Kotel. After he got his higher musical education in Plovdiv, Penev took up the headmaster's post very young and without any experience and he stayed there for 10 years. |
He managed to continue and enrich the guiding principles of Stoyan Chobanov. He devoted much of his energy and time to the construction of the new school building and to the new pedagogical problems he encountered on the way of its development.
Today Georgi Penev lives and works as a teacher in Philip Kutev National School of Folk Arts in Kotel.
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Tasho Barulov
Headmaster from 1992 to 1995
He took up the post in 1992. Before that he graduated from the school in 1976 and, later, in 1982, from the High Institute for Musical Pedagogy in Plovdiv. Then he became a teacher in the Music School in Kotel and conductor of the Representative School Orchestra. |
Tasho Barulov was born on Jan.27th, 1957 in the village of Razdol, district of Yambol. His career as an administrative head shows that Philip Kutev Secondary Music School has grown up its own personnel. They are excellently acquainted with its problems and are capable of solving them. Tasho Barulov is a graduate of the famous educational institution. One of his great wishes was the need to create solid international contacts of the school; to make it more famous abroad than it was in the previous years. And what he did in this connection, though not much was inspiring. He realized contacts with a school in far away Denmark and close relations with Old Bulgarian centers in Besarabiya, wherefrom students come to specialize in Kotel.
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