People all over the world know him. He has performed in so many projects and with so many musicians that it would take hours just to count them. The number of countries he has visited is also huge. His life is a constant string of concerts, tours, new and old musical friendships. For several decades on the stage Theodosii Spassov has accumulated vast experience. He plays the kaval ( shepherd’s flute) and performs equally well folk, jazz, world music, flamenco, etc. He has had concerts with symphony and chamber orchestras. On May 24 - the day of Bulgarian culture and literature, we talk about art and changes in the way of thinking of musicians. We start with a piece from the album "Treta Maika" by guitarists Vlatko Stefanovski and Miroslav Tadic, while Theodosii Spassov is guest soloist.

In recent years, the Stefanovski-Tadic-Spassov trio has been part of a joint project with conductor Kristjan Järvi, which includes a large symphony orchestra. The project has already been presented in London, Monte Carlo, Leipzig, and others.

"This music has always had success,” Theodosii says. “The audience explodes after each piece. Kristjan is a very charismatic conductor. He was born Estonian and has lived in the U.S. His whole family are known musicians, but perhaps he has very adventurous spirit. He has performed with Joe Zawinul and Arab musicians. I am convinced that we must stay away from the conservatism in music, which is based on some aesthetic dogmas. The world is changing, the audience changes, too. Beatboxers already take part in the programs of philharmonic orchestras. Technologies develop quickly. There are people who do not know the notes, but create original music. On the other side there are people who have devoted decades of their lives on professional training. There is a clash of generations and positions but that is why life is so interesting.”

"When I was a 16-years-old student in the school in Kotel, I decided to become a professional musician,” Theodosii says. “I wished I could play together with musicians from all over the world with this instrument that I had chosen. And this is what actually happened over the years. Currently, mixing different styles is a global trend. I've had the chance to feel this trend in the early 80s. Now this is a serious wave. But to do something worthwhile one needs deep knowledge and much experience. It takes a lot to find the right recipe in order not to create kitsch. For me there is nothing more dangerous. Kitsch has been flourishing in all areas of human activity. Of course, some make good money out of it. Often representatives of true art are poor. But they are who take the spiritual development of mankind to another level. Sometimes those heights are left unclimbed.”

One of the international projects that receive new incarnations over the years is the participation of Theodosii in the flamenco formation of pianist David Peña Dorantes. There is a project called "Bratimene" with Arcangel - one of the leading flamenco voices of Spain. Balkan roots have brought together the musicians in the "Hemus Collective.” These are Theodossi Spassov, Bojan Zulfikarpasic, Martin Gjakonovski, and Kostas Anastasiadis.

"It is interesting that each of us participates in different projects around the world. Boyan is a Serb and is one of the most famous jazz musicians of France. Martin is from Skopje; he studied in Germany and lives in Cologne. Costas who is originally from Greece had lived for many years in California, before returning to his homeland. We were fortunate to play together in Sofia. We also released an album with the recording of the concert. It is called ‘Escape from Reality.’ This band loves the Balkan folklore and mixes it with contemporary styles, including jazz and world music. "

English: Alexander Markov