The Teachers (Bulgaria)

Tsvetan Nedyalkov - guitar

Veselin Koychev - guitar

Hristo Minchev - bass guitar

Christian Zhelev - drums and percussion

The two renowned guitar players Veselin Koychev and Tsvetan Nedyalkov have been playing together since 2009 when along with Ivan Lechev they created the popular Acoustic Trio 3000, which achieved a lot of success all over the country. In this line-up, they won the Best Instrumental Album award for 2011 in the Indie Acoustic Project competition, USA, with their original album Yo-Ho. 

Tsvetan Nedyalkov is also popular outside his professional environment. He is an active guitar player, known to the wide audience as a participant in the Ku-Ku Band, as well as in a number of television music formats. He has played with The Manhattan Transfer, Mezzoforte, Incognito, Zucchero, etc. Veselin Koychev is a member of the Jazz Line band, which is considered a model for Bulgarian ethno jazz. He is the leader of the White, Green and Red – the longest existing jazz band in Bulgaria. He is author of jazz, pop, symphonic and theatre music, folklore arrangements, etc. His discography includes 10 albums and participations in jazz forums in Bulgaria, Balkan countries, Russia, Morocco, Finland, Italy, England, etc. The artistic seeks of the famous guitarists have led to the creation of their new original project – The Teachers, as they both teach jazz and poo guitar – Tsvetan Nedyalkov at Prof Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music, Sofia,  and Veselin Koychev at Prof Asen Diamandiev Academy of Music, Dance and  Fine Arts, Plovdiv. Two young and talented performers also take part in the project – Hristo Minchev (bass guitar) and Kristiyan Zhelev (drums and percussion). The style of the band could be defined as fusion, combining thematic material from Bulgarian folk music with harmonic techniques, improvisations and jazz performer methods.

“Enchantment, romance and magic, a colourful array of sounds and emotions, presented with virtuoso mastery” – these are only some of the reviews of the performances by Koychev and Nedyalkov. The exceptional guitar technique and sense of improvisation make their music live, recognisable and memorable.

The newly formed band The Teachers has played live many times: at the Celebrations in the Valley of Thracian Kings, Kazanlak, the Pop, Jazz, Ethno National Guitar and String Instrument Competition in Plovdiv, The Apollonia 2016 Festival of Arts, Bee Bop Café – Plovdiv, Studio 5 – Sofia, the Guitar Festival – Pleven, the Jazz in Burgas festival, etc.

Their concerts are received enthusiastically by fans, which has inspired the recording of a new album – Koychev & Nedyalkov, The Teachers Project, which includes original compositions by the two guitar players and arrangements of popular folk songs.