Hristo Yotsov

 

Drums, mallets, composer/arranger, Professor of percussion instruments at National Academy of Music, Sofia

 

Hristo Yotsov was born in 1960 in Sofia in the family of professional musicians. He finished his studies at the National Music School and later at the State Academy of Music in Sofia in the class of percussion instruments of Prof. Dr. Dobri Paliev.

 

His jazz career started in 1982 with Simeon Sterev’s “Jazz Focus quartet”.In 1984 with Anthony Donchev he formed the “Acoustic version” group which won the two most prestigeous European competitions for jazz - Hoeilaart-Belgium 1985 and Leverkusen-Germany 1986 with the title “European jazz artists of the year”.

 

Hristo Yotsov has played with different jazz formations in Bulgaria, Europe, India, Canada and Japan, working with fine artists such as Andy Scofield, Tommy Smith, Reggie Workman, Mario Stantchev, Theodossii Spassov, Milcho Leviev, Yildiz Ibrahimova, Alexia, Sergey Manukyan, Reiner Wintershlagen, Adam Pieronchik, Gunter Baby Sommer, Erick Prost, Tim Garland, Steve Hamilton, Roberto Magris, Anke Helfrich, Bennie Maupen, Steve Slegle, Bobby Carcases and many others.

 

During the period 1982-1989 he was the drummer and arranger of the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio.

Since 1989 he has been head of drums in the jazz department of the National Academy of Music.

In 1999 he was awarded as “Jazz musician of the Year” at the National Music Awards.

 

In 2004 Hristo won1st prize at the "New Bulgarian Composition" competition with the concerto for marimba and symphony orchestra in Plovdiv. Hristo Yotsov composed music for different jazz projects, films, theater plays and classical pieces such as“The beginning” for clarinet, drums and chamber orchestra /1999/, Concerto for clarinet/2002,”Eufonia”Italy/, Concerto for oboe/2004,”Gerard Billaudot, Paris/, Concerto for marimba /2004/., Piano Concerto “The Spirit of Jazz” 2013,”Musical moments” for two pianos and two percussionists and etc.

 

Hristo has recorded over 30 CD albums.