Our projects center on aspects of music pedagogy and/or performance. They involve collaboration among musicians of different styles and generations, often bringing together artists who have never worked together before. They present important chamber music works and support the creation and performance of new music in both traditional and non-standard settings.

Ardenza Projects

AmBul Festival of American and Bulgarian Music

What:     International festival of (not only) American and Bulgarian music,
                  with focus on works by living composers​

Where:  Various venues in Sofia, Bulgaria

When:   Annually during October since 2007; founded in 1998 as
                  American Music Week in Bulgaria

Why:      To present contemporary chamber music, often in premiere performances, to

                  Sofia audiences;
               To bring together artists of different generations, nationalities, aesthetic 

                  positions for collaborative projects;
               To introduce aspiring young musicians to contemporary music performance

                  through actual experience.

Who:      Geoffrey Dean, founder and Artistic Director; participating composers and

                  performers from Bulgaria and the US;

                In cooperation with the Boris Christoff Music Center (2007-8),

                  Bulgarian National Radio (2009-), American Corner (2009-),

                  Union of Bulgarian Composers (2008-), National Music Academy (2009-);

                Financial support from the Culture Program of the Sofia Municipality,

                  the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, and the U. S. Embassy in Sofia.

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VIVAPIANO International Competition for

   Non-professional Pianists

What:     International competition exclusively for non-professional pianists

                  of all ages and nationalities​

Where:  Sofia, Bulgaria (at the Bulgaria Concert Complex in 2012)

When:    April 2010 (1st edition), April 2012 (2nd edition); 3rd edition planned

                  for April 2014

Why:      To provide a positive artistic experience for amateur pianists;

               To encourage the important work being done by private piano teachers

                  and community music schools throughout Bulgaria and the Balkans;

               To encourage the performance of music by Bulgarian composers.

Who:      Daniela Dikova, founder and Artistic Director;

               International jury with chairperson Katya Tancheva (2010),

                  Evgenia Simeonova (2012);
               114 competition participants in 2010, 133 in 2012;

                In cooperation with the Andrey Stoyanov Community School (2010),

                  Sofia Philharmonic (2012, 2014); ​

                Financial support from the America for Bulgaria Foundation (2012, 2014).

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