With a concert at the Elin Pelin 1896 chitalishte (community culture club) in the town of Elin Pelin, music lovers in this country are celebrating 100 years since the birth of composer and conductor Dimitar Dinev and 60 years since the creation of the folklore choir which bears his name.Dimitar
Dinev is founder of the Gotse Delchev folklore ensemble.

After graduating the Bulgarian conservatory in 1957, Dimitar Dinev started work as music editor at Radio Bulgaria’s Turkish-language service, setting himself the mission of tracking down young talents from the Turkish community in this country. One of his biggest discoveries was singer Yildiz Ibrahimova. It was Dimitar Dinev that pointed her towards obtaining a music education and made her first recordings at the BNR.

Dimitar Dinev’s son, Boris Dinev, also a musician, arrived from Luxembourg expressly for his father’s centennial anniversary. Boris Dinev is co-founder of the Polyrhythmia percussion ensemble, with which he has been performing at festivals in Bulgaria, Europe, Cuba, Tunisia and Japan. In 1989, Polyrhythmia won third prize and the audience award at the  International Percussion Competition in Luxembourg.   

Boris Dinev performs with most Bulgarian symphony orchestras, and with renowned Bulgarian jazz musicians like Lubomir Denev, Lyudmil Georgiev, Simeon Shterev, Veselin Nikolov, Milcho Leviev, Antoni Donchev. As a duet with kaval-player Theodosii Spassov, Boris Dinev has had many successful concert tours abroad.As a studio musician, Boris Dinev has had many recordings at the National Radio, Bulgarian National TV, Balkanton, and has been involved in film and theatre productions. From 1981 until 1991 he lectured at the pop music department of the national conservatory. In 1991 he moved to Luxembourg where he teaches at the Conservatoire de Musique du Nord and the music school in Echternach, and plays with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, with the L'Orchestre de Chambre du Luxembourg and with other European jazz musicians and formations.

On the eve of the concert, dedicated to the centennial anniversary of his father, Boris Dinev paid a visit to the Bulgarian National Radio and gave an interview to Sevkiye Cakır from Radio Bulgaria’s Turkish Language Service.

“The concert marking my father’s centennial anniversary was organized by the Dimitar Dinev choir which he worked with very intensively during the last years of his life. After his death the choir took his name, and together with conductor Ilka Dimitrova, who was my father’s assistant 40 years ago, and who is still at the head of the choir, they organized this concert, for which I am very grateful.”

A host of renowned musicians will take part in the concert commemorating Dimitar Dinev – kaval-player Theodosii Spassov, percussionist Stoyan Yankulov-Stunji, singers Radka Alexova, Kalinka Sgurova, the groups Novoselski, Shareni Manista, Kambanki, and the shoppe ensemble Radi Radev.

The Gotse Delchev, Sofia mixed choir and the formation Kipri will be special guests at the concert. The event starts at 7 PM tonight in the grand hall of the Elin Pelin 1896 chitalishte in Elin Pelin.

Photos courtesy of Boris Dinev, BNR

Translated from the Bulgarian and posted by Milena Daynova