Bulgarian conductor and composer Martin Georgiev is a Conducting graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he has studied with Colin Metters, Sir Colin Davis and George Hurst and was awarded the Fred Southall Memorial Prize for his final recitals as well as major scholarships by the ABRSM, RAM-Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, National Culture Fund of Bulgaria and St Cyril and Methodius International Foundation.

He is currently undertaking Doctoral research in Composition at the Royal Academy with principal supervisor Dr. Philip Cashian and tutorials with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Colin Matthews. The topic of his PhD, supported by the Wingate Foundation is developing a new system for pitch organisation – Morphing Modality.

He has served as a guest conductor with the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra, Sofia National Philharmonic, Varna Philharmonic, and has been assistant conductor to Sir Colin Davis, Leif Segerstam and Tadaaki Otaka with the Royal Academy Concert Orchestra.

Martin has conducted studio recordings of his symphonic works Heavenly Reflections and Variations on a Theme by Handel with the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra which were broadcast nationally and internationally. He has been assistant music director for the premiere of the new opera Tarantula in Petrol Blue by Anna Meredith at the Aldeburgh Festival.

Martin is a laureate of 17 prizes for composition and for percussion including The Grand Prize for Composition dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of Sofia Philarmonic, as well as the International Composers' Forum Tactus in Brussels, where his Passacaglia on Two Bulgarian Themes was performed by the National Orchestra of Belgium. His works have been performed in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Bulgaria, Greece, Israel and Italy. His Chamber Opera The Mirror with libretto by Marike Van Aerde was premiered in London by the Asalea Ensemble under Jessica Cottis with patrons Lady Solti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Andrew Ritchie CBE. Being a concert percussionist in his youth, he has premiered a number of works for Percussion and Orchestra, including his own concerto in 2002.

Photograph by Vassilka Balevska