“St. Yoan Kukuzel” Chamber Ensemble

“St. Yoan Kukuzel - the Angel-Voiced” Ensemble, created by a group of enthusiasts in the fall of 1967 is the first performer, which performed the Bulgarian Orthodox ancient chants on the concert stage in Bulgaria and abroad. In its concert and recording activity the Ensemble also gives its effort in the search and recovery of ancient musical pieces, which for the most part are not only the first records, but also the f i r s t performances of ancient melodies nowadays. The merits of the Ensemble in praise of the name of its patron and the Bulgarian church chants are invaluable for both Bulgarian and the European and world art. Its presentation at the international early music festivals in Paris, Avignon, Old Sącz, Edinburgh, Bydgoszcz, Czestochowa, Rome, Haynuvka, Prague, Krakow, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novi Sad, Belgrade ... are an indisputable proof of international reputation and prestige.

The Chamber Ensemble “St. Yoan Kukuzel - the Angel-Voiced” was the first Ensemble invited to give a series of Orthodox Church concerts in Orthodox Russia on the occasion of 1000 years of the adoption of Christianity there. And last but not least, the Ensemble included in the next Berlin Festival became an immediate witness and participant in the remarkable for Germany and the German people 3 October 1989.

Besides concert and recording activity, the Chamber Ensemble is often sought to perform musical illustrations at scientific conferences and symposia, educational and scientific programs on the national radio and television. Its performances sound in historical films. The choir is known in Switzerland as a precise participant in the concert performances of the opera “Oedipus Rex” by Igor Stravinsky and for its participation in the opera productions of the opera “Parsifal” by R. Vagner at Bern theatre.

For its performing mastery the Ensemble was awarded the highest honor to give concerts in the palace of “Hovburg” for the Austrian president; in Rome – for the Italian president. The chanters sang to His Holiness Pope JOHN PAUL II in his official office in the Vatican /1982/; during his public audience on San Pietro Square to many thousands of pilgrims from all over the world /23 May 1985/ and in the autumn of the same year in the representative hall of the Vatican “Paul VI” and in the Basilica “San Pietro”. They sing to him 20 years later during the historical first visit of Roman Catholic Pope in Orthodox Bulgaria.

The audience on the island of Cyprus, Greece, Serbia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, France, Portugal, the island of Malta, Italy, Belgium enjoyed the concerts of the Chamber Ensemble, as well. The Ensemble has visited most of them many times.

On 30 November 2006 “St. Yoan Kukuzel - the Angel-Voiced” Chamber Ensemble was invited to perform in the church “Santa Maria Maggiore” in Rome in connection with the adoption of Bulgaria's accession to the European Union. The Vatican Radio recorded the concert and made a commemorative CD documenting this remarkable for our country event.

In relation to the first Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2018, the choir was invited to take part in the opening ceremony in Sofia. Also to celebrate the end of the mandate and the handover of the Presidency to Austria, the Ensemble gave a concert in Vienna's Stephan's Dom Cathedral. In the autumn of the same year, the choir celebrated its 50th anniversary with a major concert in Sofia and also with the release of its eighth CD. In 2020, when we celebrate the 740th anniversary of the birth of the great servant of God, famous hymn writer, reformer of the Eastern Orthodox Church music and angel-voiced singer - St. Yoan Kukuzel, the choir received another great acknowledgement - first prize in the category "Professional Choirs" at the International Festival-Competition for Orthodox Church Music in the town of Hajnówka, Eastern Poland.

Having mastered the art of singing tradition, kept alive, “St. Yoan Kukuzel - the Angel-Voiced” Vocal Ensemble seeks authenticity also by reproducing medieval sensibility because church music is philosophy in sounds and each piece of its own is in search of greatness in the world and the meaning of human existence.

Kristian Popov - The Conductor

KRISTIAN POPOV was born on 2nd December 1991in Sofia. His involvement with music began when he was only 4 years old by playing the piano and singing in a choir. In the course of 10 years, he was singer-soloist in the Pim-Pam Children's Choir directed by prof. Boris Karadimchev. He showed his gift for musical composition at an early age. In 2001 a work composed by him received a prize from the Union of Bulgarian Music and Dance Artistes. In 2010 he graduated from the Lyubomir Pipkov Secondary School for Music in Sofia with the subject of clarinet and in 2014 - the Pancho Vladigerov Academy of Music studying two subjects: clarinet with prof. Sava Dimitrov and choral conducting with prof. Miroslav Popsavov and prof. Plamen Dzhourov (orchestral conducting). He also did some classical singing. He took part as a soloist in operettas and musicals. In 2010-2011 he was a chorister in the "Prof. Georgi Dimitrov" professional choir at the Academy of Music and since 2011 he has been singing in the male choir at Sveta Nedelya Cathedral in Sofia, conducted by prof. Miroslav Popsavov. In 2012-2014 he was conductor of "The Gregorian Voices" vocal ensemble, with which he gave many successful concerts in Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries. In 2015 he began work as conductor of the choir of the American College in Sofia and as a musical director of the Musical Program at that college. Early in 2016 was honored to become the new conductor of the world-famous male chamber ensemble "St. John Kukuzel the Angel-Voiced".