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Dimitar Liolev

Dimitar Liolev (7/01/1973) is a second generation professional musician. He is the son of Kostadin Liolev - an accordeonist, classical clarinetist, composer and arranger of Bulgarian folk music. Dimitar began studying music at age of five, and saxophone – at age sixteen. He is a graduate of both the Secondary Music School and the Academy of Music in Plovdiv, with piano and fagotto as his majors. His first professional experience followed over a ten year period of working as a musician in pubs, restaurants and wedding celebretaions, performing Bulgarian, Serbian, Turkish and Greek folk music, together with popular music and jazz.

2000: Dimitar became a member of the young folk-fusion band “Brainstorm”. The band performed at numerous jazz clubs, festivals, TV and radio shows across Bulgaria.

2002: accepted at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen, the Netherlands. There he graduated from the “New York Comes To Groningen” program, under the expertise of such American and Dutch jazz educators, as: Ralph Peterson, Don Braden, David Berkman, Conrad Herwig, Brian Lynch, Dena DeRose, Joris Teepe, Miguel Martinez, Yuri Honing.

2004:reached the finals of the concours “Dutch Jazz Competition”, where he presented his first group “Rakia” on the stage of the prestigeous North Sea Jazz Festival.

2005: won second prize at the “Leidse jazz award” and was nominated for the 'outstanding young performer award': “Harten Aas jazz award”.

2006: established himself in Bulgaria and began a busy recording and performing career with some of the most recognized Bulgarian artist – Theodossi Spassov, Angel Zaberski Jr., Anthony Donchev, Mihail Yossiffov, Hristo Yotsov, Stoyan Yankoulov, Hilda Kazasyan, Lili Ivanova and many more. Started a number of projects under his leadership – a quartet, a quintet and a septet.

2008: Taught at the Academy of Music in Plovdiv. Currently, he is a member of the renown National Radio Big Band, the Brass Association Big Band and sat as a musical director of July Jazz Festival for a few years.

2013: Recorded his debut album “Rhodopology” in a quartet with Anthony Donchev, Boris Taslev and Borislav Petrov. Points the following Bulgarian artists as major musical influences: Kostadin Liolev, Theodosii Spassov, Ivo Papasov, Ivan Milev, Miltcho Leviev, Anthony Donchev, as well as the American legends: Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt, John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Kenny Garrett, Chris Potter, Miguel Zenon,erbie, David Binney, David Berkman, Herbie Hancock among others.

Awards

Nomination of the album"Rhodopology"for "Crystal Lyra"Award for 2014 Bulgaria. 2005: won second prize at the “Leidse jazz award” and was nominated for the 'outstanding young performer award': “Harten Aas jazz award”Holland. 2004:reached the finals of the concours “Dutch Jazz Competition”, where he presented his first group “Rakia” on the stage of the prestigeous North Sea Jazz Festival.


Tags

When it comes to jazz it is difficult to avoid foreign words especially if you have to search for synonyms of jazzman, sideman, and bandleader. Saxophonist Dimitar Lyolev is all of that. Soloist, composer, arranger and stage partner in various projects, he always manages to achieve musical expression the “Bulgarian way" with strong Rhodope influence. His favorite mountain is also found in the title of his album "Rhodopolodgy.” He presents it together with Antoni Donchev - piano, Boris Taslev - bass and Borislav Petrov - drums.

Dimitar Lyolev was born in Plovdiv and is a graduate of the School of Music and the Music Academy in the city. In 2002 he continued his education in the Prins Claus Conservatorium in Groningen, the Netherlands. There he completed the "New York Comes to Groningen" program. While still a student he took a part at the prestigious "North Sea Jazz Festival" with his band Rakia. In 2005 he won second prize for soloist in the "Leidse Jazz Stad Competition" in Leiden, Netherlands. The same year he returned to Bulgaria and started working actively with the most famous names from the local stage - Theodosiy Spassov, Angel Zaberski Jr., Michail Iosifov, Hristo Yotzov, Stoyan Yankulov, Hilda Kazasyan, Lili Ivanova and others.

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Some Story

Self Produced
2020

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Eastern Shadows

Slam Productions
2017

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Rhodopology

Music Clinic Records
2014

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Jazz Me

From: Eastern Shadows
By Dimitar Liolev

Groove for us

From: Rhodopology
By Dimitar Liolev

Bp Jazz

From: Rhodopology
By Dimitar Liolev

Videos

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