Pavel Ralev

Pavel was born in 1991 in Sofia, Bulgaria and started playing the guitar at the age of ten, when he was first introduced to some basic chords by his parents. He was improving quickly and soon after he started taking classical guitar lessons when he was eleven. Very quickly he fell in love with the instrument even more and decided to become a musician. After two years of training he took guitar, aural, harmony, music history and piano examinations, and entered the National School of Music and Dance Arts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In 2009 he was accepted to study on a full scholarship with Michael Lewin and Timothy Walker at the Royal Academy of Music.

Pavel has participated in masterclasses with world-renowned guitarists such as Fabio Zanon, Olivier Chassain, David Russell, Edoardo Catemario, George Vassillev to name a few, and he has met and played for the legendary Julian Bream. He has won several prizes in solo and chamber music competitions in his native Bulgaria. He has performed live for the Bulgarian National Radio and Television, and in venues like the Plovdiv Philharmonic House, Bulgarian National Opera, Duke’s Hall at the RAM, and the House of Commons in the British Parliament. Pavel collaborates with brilliant young musicians like guitarist Stanislav Hvartchilkov and violinist Nazrin Rashidova, and has made recordings with sound engineer Nikolay Georgiev.

Pavel Ralev currently lives in London and teaches the guitar there. He recently took his Dip ABRSM examinations. Not long ago he got engaged to his girlfriend Alexandra.

Programme

Alonso Mudarra (c. 1510-1580)                                       Fantasia X

John Dowland (c. 1563-1626)                                           A Fancy VII

J. S. Bach (1685-1750)                                                          Prelude in D minor, BWV 999

Fernando Sor (1778-1839)                                                 Introduction and Variations on a Theme by Mozart

J. K. Mertz (1806-1856)                                                       Introduction and Rondo Brilliant

William Walton (1902-1983)                                           Five Bagatelles
             II Lento
              III Alla Cubana

INTERVAL

J. S. Bach (1685-1750)                                                          Prelude, Fugue and Allegro, BWV 998

Mauro Giuliani (1786-1829)                                             Grande Ouverture

A. Barrios-Mangore (1885-1944)                                    Una Limosnita por el Amor de Dios

H. Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)                                               Suite populaire brésilienne

                Gavotta-Choro