Welcome to the homepage of 
Georgi Sztojanov -
Composer, singer, conductor

*Under construction
Music is Life, and Life is Music. 
They contain one another, transform into each other,
inspire and exchange. 
Finding the true voice to share the experience, knowledge and thoughts about all what surrounds us, all what is in us, all to connect.
Through composition, singing, performing.
This is my aim.
Photos by Alp Klanten

Singing and (co)composing - VULNUS
A music theatre piece for Gaudeamus

A successful collaboration with Irene Sorozabal (voice, recorders) and Manuel Sanchez Garcia (composer), observing the power of vulnerability more then just as a content, but also as a state in which the performers have to exist.
With the lights and dramaturgic advice of Emese Csornai, premiered on Gaudeamus music week in 2018 September.  
Listen to an excerpt of Georgi's composition, 'Stretched', from the recordings made by TRPTK! For more, see related videos under title 'VULNUS'!

NEWS - Singing

Title role in 'Michael's Jugend' and Michael in 'Invasion-Explosion' from
'AUS LICHT' on Holland Festival
with Dutch National Opera

After almost two years of preparing, finally the premier of Stockhausen's opera cycle is in the Gashouder in Amsterdam!
As leading role in Michael's Jugend, Georgi had the opportunity to show his variety in singing and performing.
A touching story of a difficult childhood, based on autobiographic elements of the composer, Stockhausen (and also resembling some elements of his own past), the 70 minutes piece shows how the character grows from a young child with sick Mother and troubled Father, through adolescence with flirting with a half-bird, half- alien bassethorn-player girl, finally growing up into a young man applying to be accepted as Tenor in the Heavenly Conservatory, facing the ghost of his parents and reliving the past in order to get above it.
Challenging after losing both of his parents last year, more than just therapeutic, this preparation process was also a dedication to his memories of his parents.
Photos by Ruth&Martin Walz
For more info, visit the Shows Day 1 or Day 3,
and check out the National Opera's special website here:
auslicht.com/en/

ART IN CORONA

Everyone was affected by the global pandemic of Covid-19. 
Next to the enorm losses that everyone had to experience, it also gave us a chance to reinvent ourselves, our beliefs, values and reset our priorities.
As artists, deprived from the joy and importance of working together and communicating with an audience, new forms and means of making art came to life. A beautiful example is Jan-Peter de Graaff's mini opera series, the 
Bonsai Garden.
Watch the episode written for Georgi singing, playing organ, violin and flute.

Blessing - with Babylon Quartet

​A touching piece, written for the celebration of the 25-year wedding anniversary of Davo and Margriet van Peursen, based on a psalm by Sir Isaac Watts, by Composer Maxim Shalygin. 
Our first recording and certainly not the last - with the Babylon Quartet!
In the gorgeous recording and design by TRPTK - The New Music Movement.
Check out also their recording of movements of the Music Theatre piece VULNUS.

An Odd Passion

On his master presentation as singer, Georgi rearranged several pieces (from different genres, times and languages) for his ensemble, The Odd7.
One of the possible outcomes is an album with such modernised versions of excerpt of Bach: Matthëus Passion, the well treasured tradition of Holland during easter times. The idea of 'An Odd Passion' showing this timeless music from new angles is even more valid, as this year most of passion concerts were cancelled.
Listen to an excerpt of Georgi's arrangement on the Tenor Aria 'O Schmerz'.
An 'Aria', composed on the chords of Faure: Green, on the wise words of his former pianist-(life) coach, Phyllis Ferwerda, mixed with some own texts, 
playing 7 instruments for the 7 chakras, from
OUT OF THE BLUE - a one man show about becoming a tenor.
To see the whole show, click on the video below!

Master Singing Diploma
9,5 with distinction 

With a mix of surprising repertoire, mixing old and new, own pieces and transcriptions, with excerpts of the music theatre piece 'Vulnus' and the new ensemble 'The Odd 7'!
Soon to be seen in video excerpts!

Extended Tenor -Gyula Csapó: Trilce 

The recording of this magnificent piece, written for guitarist Katalin Koltai, and Georgi himself, still shows the possibilities of an extension to the voice combining tenor with countertenor and with low vocal fry, just as the 8 stringed guitar has one extra string below and above. 

Extended techniques - The Gift

As part of the Staged music production VULNUS Manuel Sanchez wrote a piece specially for Georgi, to 'unshow' his secure patterns and tools as a performer, and make him discover sides of his voice, that would make him truly vulnerable during performing this monodrama. 

OUT OF THE BLUE
​Bachelor dipoma concert
9 with a distinction for
'multitalented artistry'
with new performance, written by/from/about Sztojanov

Check out the one man show of a 30 year old man, facing his roots, his path, and his process of ... well, becoming a TENOR:)

Hinse Mutter: Dirge pour Charlie

My good colleague friend, Hinse Mutter wrote this piece as a reaction to the brutal happenings in Paris. With respect to all. Let there be change.

Some older recordings of premieres
​as singer

Jimenez confusion
​
Paradise Lost

Improvs - GoedLaak Music Collective

Highlights - COMPOSING

Angelic Books in Meesters en Gezellen, 
​conducted by Daniel Reuss, a best-of
selection from 9 concerts all over Nl

With the new final movement, 'Playing Nationalities', Daniel Reuss conducts the young talented singers' choir on a tour around Holland. The selection of best recordings from 2018 is finally online!
Three movements with three angelic comments, for three mixed choirs 
on diverse texts from the time of WW1, in different languages & setups
The third big movement is based on a Hungarian novel, from which the title of the whole collection came. Although written 100 years ago, the text reflects on a growing problem in our modern world: violent and fanatic nationalism. The writer, Kosztolányi, appoints it as one of the main reasons that lead to WW1 – and wars in general. Shouldn’t we learn from it? And ‘teach our children to love Humans…and make peace?’
Prologue
1. Come questa pietra – Marcia
2. Saillant / Der Abend, Im Osten 
Intermezzo
3. Nemzetesdi (Playing ‘Nationalism’)
Epilogue

FUGA - Mikrokozmosz

Sztojanov was chosen to be part of the prestigious project of FUGA center in Budapest to record his piece 'Collect for aid' from his Anglican Vespers, 'Evensong' (2010).
The series is focused to capture solo performers transform their listeners by interpreting very personal pieces. Orsolya Juhász, a very close friend of the composer shows her devotion to his musical style, as they have been making music together for nearly 20 years now.

BUT - IS IT ALLOWED?
A mini oratorio made for 
Radio Filharmonisch Orkest and 
Groot Omroepkoor

After months without the option to make music together, on the first occasion that 30 people could come together, and record, Georgi had the honour to compose for the top ensembles of The Netherlands: The Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Radio Choir! Even in a small setup, in a big circle - safe distance from each other - the singers and musicians managed to express all the mixed feelings of the lockdown - uncertainty, frustration, and the 'polyphonic loss' - on the texts of Ewa Maria Wagner. Composed in only 2 weeks, rehearsed in a day and recorded in a day, it is a last-minute minute-made minioratorio.

Beauty in isolation: Sleep, restore my 

During the months of staying in and self isolate, finally there was more time to focus on the inside. Time slowed down, thoughts cleared up, the focus shifted. 
What can one find in such sleep-like state of mind? The ambivalent relation to this forced calm also brought to life a beautiful project. 
Francisca Branco's research on Händel ornaments brought Georgi to compose a new piece, based on 'Oh Sleep, why dost thou leave me?' from the opera Semele. Listen to the piece, recorded with Francisca, Leonid Nikishin on violin and the composer himself on organ. Beautiful video by René Geerlings. 
Read the essay about the creation in the description of the video!
​

In the middle of the sound...
of the Dutch Radio Choir!

In October 2019 Georgi had a commission to compose a short piece for six singers of the Groot Omroepkoor, The Netherland's Radio Choir. 
The recording was made in 360degrees - you can enjoy it on VR glasses, or even enjoy it by being surrounded by the singers on your phone. 
​Headphones recommended - see how the sound changes according to where you look! 

The New VocalFederation6:
Six Things that are but One

The New VF6 (Vocal Federation6) has recorded a full album of Sztojanov's vocal ensemble works. Listen to the album on Soundcloud (click on the pic)
or watch the live recording session from The Hague Barthkapel (see below).
The New Vocal Federation Six is a vocal ensemble, focused on exquisitely extravagant modern music. 
Its members put together their knowledge, skills and experience of different genres, being all masters of their voice, bringing their uniqueness to all blend in a colorful and exciting unity. 
The group is recently (re)formed under the leadership of their tenor, Georgi Sztojanov, whose compositions are forming the debut program of this promising collaboration.

Half hour choral commemoration of 
WW1 - 'War circles' premiered in Mechelen, on TENSO days

The commission piece for the 2014 TENSO Awards, written for the Zagreb Radio Choir and the local Musa Horti amateur choir was premiered in Lunalia Festival, 2018 in Mechelen as part of the TENSO days.
The piece is a commemoration of World War 1, and next to being dedicated to all that perished and suffered in it, it is also in memory of the Sztojanov's mother, who passed during the composing of the piece in April, 2018.
Listen here to an excerpt of the cycle, 'Nunc dimittis', written in the memory of Miglena Boeva, the mother of Sztojanov.
You can listen to the whole cycle here:

Sometimes - a piece for the 
Nederlands Studenten Kamerkoor

Sent out of Eden, a choir falls apart to its individuals, who feel 'like a motherless child'. The Goddess Maya (Mezzosoprano solo) reminds them of the illusion of separation (while a sensual reading near the eras of the audience introduces us to Maya - from Wikipedia of course) and they all unite in a beautiful text by Rumi.
A 20 minutes spiritual journey, sung by the fantastic Leonie van Rheden, the most enthusiast young choir, NSK under the ever joyful leadership of Beni Csillag.
Listen to the full concert, or the piece here (from 46:00 - 1:06:00) 
https://vimeo.com/334395013/18e1815f28

Premiere of Georgi's new piece, 
'Angelis Books' at TENSO days, by 
Cappella Amsterdam

Soon to be heard on audio recording!

Sztojanov receives the TENSO YOUNG COMPOSERS AWARD 2014

Very interesting experiments
According to the jury, Sztojanov “brought very interesting experiments to the workshops” and “[i]t is clear that he feels completely at ease with the natural flow of the language, and his settings of postcard scribbles are poignant and effective.” What’s more, the jury points out that “while the jury cheers the fact that he gives the performers and the performability of his music prime position, they still want to encourage him to cross boundaries and not to be afraid to challenge the singers.”
Young composer Georgi Sztojanov (BG/HU, 1985) has been awarded the 2014 Tenso Young Composers Award.
 Together with Francesca Le Lohé (UK, 1990) and Nuno Da Rocha (PT, 1986), he made it to the second round of the Tenso Young Composers Workshop 2014 which took place in Copenhagen on 27 and 28 November. At the workshop, the young composers worked with DR Vokalensemblet and workshop leaders James Wood (UK) and Hans Koolmees (NL). For winning the Tenso Young Composers Award 2014, Sztojanov will receive a commission for a piece for chamber choir, which will be performed by Tenso members.

SINKING - a one act opera for the Dutch National Opera Academy 

In January, 2013 Sztojanov had the premiere of his opera, 'Sinking', 
especially written and performed by the Dutch National Opera Academy.
The story observes 5 existing people's reactions in an imaginary train, going to un unknown destination (as symbol of humanity's faith) in the fear that the end is near. 
The libretto was created by the composer asking 5 people (including himself) to take part in an experimental way of creating text together through a Role Play Game, played through emails. In this virtual world - prepared by Georgi - the characters have to react as themselves, adding a documentary taste to the plot.

For more, click here: SINKING 

Dialogues from my head- mini opera for two


The recording from our premier with Orsolya Juhasz and the composer singing the tenor role 
in the second concert of the GoedLaak music collective, 'Big Mouth strikes again' in 2013 december!

Read more about the piece here!

Performances of Georgi's pieces

'Une Pierre' for soprano and vibraphone
- a song for Sara Moreira Marques and Renato Penêda

Written in 2013 originally for piano and voice -
A year later Georgi composed a new version with vibraphone.
Proud of the duo which performs this song so delicate and powerful.
Hope to hear many more performances by them.

Multimedia opera - satire played on
Making New Waves Festival Budapest