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Vlatko Stefanovski

Vlatko Stefanovski was born in 1957 in Prilep / Macedonia in a theatrical family. He started playing guitar at the age of 13. In his late teens he formed the group LEB I SOL which became one of the most important names in the music scene of former Yugoslavia. LEB I SOL had released 14 albums and had toured around the world.

Since the mid- nineties Stefanovski has developed a very successful solo career. He has recorded remarkable solo releases, like Cowboys & Indians, Sarajevo, Vlatko Stefanovski trio, Kula od karti, Thunder from the blue sky etc. The collaboration with Miroslav Tadic,
on the albums Krushevo, Treta majka, Live in Belgrade, and Live in Zagreb put a new light on Vlatko’s acoustic guitar work, and his further exploration of the Macedonian traditional music.
In the last several years he has played and recorded all around the world with many top artists like Tommy Emmanuel, Stochelo Rosenberg, Gibonni, Jan Akkerman, Theodosii Spassov Stefan Milenkovic, Kudsi Erguner, Bojan Z., Manu Katche, Toni Levin, Big Band of the Slovenian Army,  and many others. His recent work also includes music for films, theatre and ballet.

As a soloist Vlatko has performed and recorded with numerous orchestras and enesmbles, like London Simphony Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Simphony Orchestra, Monte Carlo Philcharmony Orchestra, Tonkunstler orchestra from Vienna, Simphonieta Orchestra from Sophia, Slovenian philharmony orchestra – Ljubljana, Student symphony orchestra from Skopje Macedonia, FoolCool Jazz big band, RTV Ljubljana Big Band, Croatian HTV big band, RTV Srbija Big band, Slovenian Army Big Band Orchestra etc.

Stefanovski is well known for his unique guitar technique and tone. With his Vlatko Stefanovski Trio he has performed around the world. In 2007 Stefanovski was honoured a Doctorate honoris causa in the fields of art at the University St. Kiril and Metodij / Skopje. He lives in Skopje/Macedonia with his family and owns a well-equiped project studio named ˜Esoteria Sound Studio.

Gear

Equipment Vlatko Stefanovski has been using variety of guitars and amps.His favourite guitars include Gibson Les Paul Custom 1959, Gibson SG, Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, Pensa Suhr, Gibson L-5, Radulovic guitars, Yamaha, Hamer, MK guitars signature and his main guitar Leo Scala Signature VS. The amps which he uses on concerts are:DV Mark Bad Boy, Vox AC30, Fender '57 Twin, MK signature VS Overdrive special, Fender Deluxe Reverb 57', Fender Hot Road Deville, and Marshall JCM800. Effects Actually he didn't use so much effects but one of his main effects are Fulltone Full-Drive Mosfet 2 10th Anniversary, Dunlop Crybaby, Boss DD-7, Boss CH-1, Boss CS-3 and Turbo Rat.


Tags

4
Album Review

Vlatko Stefanovski: Greatest Hits

Read "Greatest Hits" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


Guitarist and songwriter Vlatko Stefanovski has led a life of constant artistic evolution. Not standing still has served him well and given us a corpus of works in which no two are the same. The material on this Greatest Hits record encompasses the period between 1994 and 2021, when he launched his solo career following the quiet demise of the mighty Leb i Sol band. Stefanovski is one of Europe's premier guitarists and one of the foremost live ...

6
Album Review

Kings of Strings: Live in Belgrade

Read "Live in Belgrade" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


Initiated by the Guitar Art Festival in Serbia in 2012, Kings of Strings was a project that brought together three exceptional guitarists: Vlatko Stefanovski, Tommy Emmanuel and Stochelo Rosenberg.. At the festival, and on a string of tour dates throughout Europe, they showcased their abilities and talents in exceptional performances. The Guitar Art Festival is a hotbed for fine concerts by various guitar masters and educators. Over the years, it has staged unforgettable shows, featuring legendary performers such as Paco ...

9
Live Review

Vlatko Stefanovski and Theodosii Spassov at the Hungarian House of New York

Read "Vlatko Stefanovski and Theodosii Spassov at the Hungarian House of New York" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


Vlatko Stefanovski and Theodosii Spassov Hungarian House of New YorkNew York, NY October 23, 2022 Both guitarist Vlatko Stefanovski and kavalist Theodosii Spassov are masterful players and likeminded souls. Even though they come from seemingly different areas of interest and are like two distant galaxies with their colorful and storied careers, they share a lot in common. But they are bonded and have been since their first endeavor together, the Balkan Horses band in 2001, ...

10
Book Review

Tatjana Rantasha: Jazzthetics

Read "Tatjana Rantasha: Jazzthetics" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


Jazzthetics Tatjana Rantasha 120 pages Avant Press 2022 Behind every photographer, there are years of training and experience, plenty of time spent on preparation for shooting, days of selection and post-production and only one second of shooting. And yet, when done well, a moment has been frozen in time and emotion has been captured for eternity. Jazz music has long had its own chroniclers be they journalists or writers, but photographers as well. These ...

5
Live Review

Vlatko Stefanovski and the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra at the Macedonian Philharmonic Hall

Read "Vlatko Stefanovski and the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra at the Macedonian Philharmonic Hall" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


Vlatko Stefanovski & Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra Macedonian Philharmonic Hall Skopje, Macedonia September 6, 2021 At first glance, rock and classical music seem like polar opposites; one favors guitars, excess, and outrageousness, while the other side is all about poise, refinements, and good taste. Rock musicians, at least the more adventurous ones, have always fallen for the cinematic quality, the sweep, and the drama that a philharmonic orchestra can bring to their music. The results ...

7
Album Review

Vlatko Stefanovski: Taftalidze Shuffle

Read "Taftalidze Shuffle" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


Vlatko Stefanovski is always cooking up something interesting, and the ingredients in this project are inspired choices. Taftalidže is an area in Skopje where Stefanovski has lived for most of his life and from where he went to conquer the world of music firstly with his band Leb i Sol and then solo. At the time, this area was known as the funk center in Skopje with people forming bands and amassing enormous vinyl collections. As a child of the ...

8
Live Review

Vlatko Stefanovski's performance at the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra's Concert Hall 2018

Read "Vlatko Stefanovski's performance at the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra's Concert Hall 2018" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


Vlatko Stefanovski Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra's Hall Skopje, Macedonia 17 March 2018 As a musician, guitarist Vlatko Stefanovski has always excelled in any format (and genre) known to people--from duos, trios, quartets to big bands and major world-class philharmonic orchestras, and his performance at the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra's Hall showed his prowess on the guitar as a solo performer when he showcased his ability to communicate a full range of emotions from joy to sadness ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live in Belgrade

Association Of Classical Guitarists Serbia
2023

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Greatest Hits

Croatia Records
2022

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The Big Band...

Rtv Slovenija, Zkp
2017

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Mother Tongue

Croatia Records
2017

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Vlatko Stefanovski:...

Self Produced
2009

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Treta Majka

Avalon Produkcija
2004

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