Nedyalko Nedyalkov was born in 1970 in the town of Haskovo into a long line of folk musicians. Even as a young child, his interest in music was apparent. Later he continued his musical education on the kaval, a traditional Bulgarian folk instrument and applied to the prestigious School for Musical Folklore in Shiroka Luka. In 1989, he graduated with honors from the Music School in Shiroka Luka and was immediately accepted to study at the Music Academy in Plovdiv. He received his diploma in 1993. Nedyalko won several first prizes at the National Competition for Young Performers in Pleven in 1986, 1988 and 1990, as well as the special prize for the best young performer at the nighly competitive contest in Stambolovo in September 1990.  In 1996, he won a competition and was hired as a soloist in the Orchestra for Folk Music at Bulgarian National Radio, where he still plays today with a wide range of talented fellow musicians. Besides having an excellent grasp of traditional kaval styles and techniques, Nedyalko also possesses one quality that is rarely found in other Bulgarian musicians, demonstrating his unique talent – namely, his mastery of the quarter-tone system, which is exceeding difficult to apply to kaval. He performs all manner of Balkan and ethnic music with ease and is able to masterfully imitate on kaval most instruments in the flute family from around the world.  Nedyalko Nedyalkov plays with a wide range of groups, from folklore formations to wedding bands to jazz combos to classical emsembles.He has been a guest musician in numerous Bulgarian and foreign projects, including “Thracian Rhapsody” ,“Musiques Francophones”, “Traces of Thrace”, “Ikadem Orkestar”, “Kaba Horo”, “Balarom trio”, “Petar Ralchev Quartet”, “Aka Balkan Moon’’ and others. Nedyalko Nedyalkov plays with a wide range of groups, from folklore formations to wedding bands to jazz combos to classical emsembles. He has performed with renowned Bulgarian and foreign musicians, including Petar Ralchev, Ivo Papazov, Mladen Malakov, Stoyan “Stundzhi” Yankoulov, Milcho Leviev, Georgi Andreev, Angel Dimitrov, Georgi Petrov, Peyo Peev, Vladimir Karparov, the women’s folk choir Bulgarian Voices Angelite, the musical ensembles at the Bulgarian National Radio, the diva of Bulgarian pop music Lili Ivanova, Nedyalka Keranova, Kostadin Gugov, the Philip Koutev Ensemble, Stian Carstensen, Ross Daly, Fraser Fifield, Tcha Limberger, Pantelis Stoikos and many others. He has been a guest musician in numerous Bulgarian and foreign projects, including “Thracian Rhapsody” ,“Musiques Francophones”, “Traces of Thrace”, “Ikadem Orkestar”, “Balarom trio”, “Petar Ralchev Quartet”, “Aka Balkan Moon’’ and others. Over the last several years, Nedyalko Nedyalkov has participated actively in a series of international projects featuring musical styles including ethno-jazz, world, Baroque and ancient music. In mid-2009, Nedyalko found himself facing a great opportunity and creative challenge which in and of itself marks a new stage in his professional career. He was personally invited by Jordi Savall, a prominent contemporary musician, conductor, and ambassador for intercultural dialogue around the world, to take part in a major new project by Maestro Savall and Montserrat Figueras entitled ‘’La tragédie Cathare”, which concerns the history of the Bogomilism. This encounter laid the foundations for joint creative work and cooperation that continues to this day and has resulted in numerous concerts and new projects, including “Mare Mostrum”, ”La Sublime Porte”, “Balkan Spirit", Bal*Kan-“Cycles of Life” and “Dinastía Borja”, which was awarded a Grammy in 2011 for Best Small Ensemble Performance.

Founded in 1983, SFJAZZ presents the greatest names in jazz, Latin and global music and nurtures the art of improvisation through its year-round concert, commissioning and education programs. The West Coast’s biggest jazz presenter serves over 200,000 fans and students every year and has several award-winning resident jazz ensembles, the world renowned SFJAZZ Collective and the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars.

After 30 years of using rented halls, SFJAZZ finally has a home in the vibrant performing arts district of San Francisco. The luminous new SFJAZZ Center opened in January of 2013 and is the only stand-alone facility built specifically for jazz in the United States. Designed by San Francisco architect Mark Cavagnero, the LEED Gold certified center offers the superb acoustics of a great concert hall and the relaxed intimacy of a jazz club.

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