2023 FACULTY

 

Krastin Nastev is currently conductor of the Varna State Opera.  Between 2020 and 2022 he worked with Madrid Regional Symphonic Choir.  Previous conducting engagements include appearances with the Sofia Philharmonic, Sofia National Opera and Ballet, the National Philharmonic Choir, and the Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio.

Krastin Nastev received his MM from the National Music Academy in Sofia with degrees in choral and orchestral conducting and later studied in Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. In addition, he holds a diploma in advanced studies from the Music Academy in Basel, Switzerland and a a doctoral degree (DMA) in Choral Conducting from the National Music Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria. He has been a finalist at the conducting competition “Mariele Ventre” in Bologna, Italy and has won prizes at the international conducting competitions Europa Cantat and the Academic Bach Competition in Bulgaria. Mr. Nastev has participated in conducting master classes with Frieder Bernius, Lutz Köhler, Bruno Aprea, Donato Renzetti and Gianluigi Gelmetti. In 2014, he was a member of the jury of the international St. Petersburg Choral Contest, and in 2015 - a member of the jury of the Hong Kong International Festival for Children and Youth Choirs.

Sergei Pavlov is Associate Professor at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin and artistic director of the Festival Choir of Madison. He has been music director of Coro Mixto Ciudad de Quito (the National Mixed Choir of Ecuador), conductor at Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador, chorus master at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France, assistant conductor at Spoleto Festival and associate conductor of the University of Illinois Opera Theater. He holds a doctoral degree (DMA) in Choral Conducting and Literature from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

 Zornitsa Getova is a full-time collaborative pianist and member of the Conducting Department at the National Music Academy "Pancho Vladigerov" in Sofia, Bulgaria, where she works actively with student conductors, and participates in concerts and master classes.  Ms. Getova graduated from the National Music School "Lyubomir Pipkov" in Sofia with a major in Piano Performance, and from the National Music Academy in Sofia, where she majored in Sound Design and Choral Conducting. As a long-time chorus master and pianist of the Sofia Boys' Choir, she has toured internationally and has performed in Japan, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Spain and Greece, among others.

 

 

 

James Han is Associate Professor and director of Choral Activities at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Dr. Han completed his MM at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, where he studied with Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt. As a member of the renowned Westminster Choir, performed in concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under the conductors Wolfgang Sawallisch, Sir Neville Marriner, Kurt Masur, Riccardo Muti and Riccardo Chailly, among others. James Han holds a doctoral degree (DMA) in Choral Conducting and Literature from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Recently, he has conducted the Symphony Orchestra of Southeast Texas, has served as jury member for numerous choral festivals and competitions, and currently directs the Southeast Texas Symphony Chorus.

 

Vessela Dyakova van Avermaet  

will lead a presentation on"How to use the organ in choral rehearsals: practical and technical perspectives" 

Vesela Dyakova van Avermath comes from an old aristocratic Bulgarian family. Before leaving for Belgium, she taught piano at the Music School in Plovdiv and worked as a pianist for the Plovdiv Boys' Choir, alongside Stefka Blagoeva. She graduated from the Music Academy of Sofia, the Royal Conservatory in Ghent and the Lemens Institute in Leuven. Vesela Dyakova specialized in the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia and the Higher School of Music in Weimar, Germany. She has released two independent CDs and numerous recordings as an accompanist for various choirs and has given solo recitals in almost all European countries. Vesela Dyakova has taught piano in Belgium and has played as an organist for the Church of Santa Anna in Lokeren, Belgium.