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Vita

Alexander Raytchev

Alexander Raytchev was born and raised in a family of artists

Alexander Raytchev was born and raised in a family of artists: his father a composer, his mother an actress, and his grandmother a painter. The only non-artist was his grandfather, a lawyer, who made sure that everything was in order. Raytchev was inspired by music and the performing arts from an early age. This still shapes his artistic work today. For him, music is not only an acoustic revelation, but also a visual representation of his emotional inner world. He began composing at the age of six – a simple melody, improvised on a toy harmonica, was brought to the piano with the help of his father. His father also gave him access to classical music as well as his first composition lessons. Other styles, however, did not remain unnoticed – together with schoolmates, Alexander Raytchev played keyboard in several bands and was inspired by Metallica, Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis. Raytchev studied classical piano music at the Hanover University of Music and Drama, amongst others. Along the way, he celebrated many successes: he was named “Musician of the Year” in Bulgaria, took part in concert tours in Japan, recorded for the U.S. company “Music Minus One” and was the first guest soloist of the Bulgarian State Philharmonic Orchestra, including on their radio recordings.
At the same time, as a composer he began to search for a new style that could represent the connection between classical music and pop in a new form. He found his way back to the roots of classical music from the 17th/18th century, where the composer is also the interpreter of his own works. His move to Hamburg in 2005 as well as the cooperation with the Hamburg Planetarium and the related development of multimedia shows with images and music helped him to reach an “artistic unification”. His first CD with his own music was born. On “Seasons”, he built a bridge between classical music and pop. Inspired by the tradition of old masters but with the sounds of the present, he developed a kind of “neo-romanticism”: highly emotional soundscapes of piano complemented by electro sounds. His EP “Postclassicalelectro” followed just after that – this time, the piano-electronic dialogue was complemented by a string quartet, recorded together with producer Rick J. Jordan. In addition to his concert performances as a pianist and composer, Alexander Raytchev also works on commissioned compositions for theater and film. He is also a passionate music educator, sharing his experience as a teacher of composition and piano.