Dr. Nickolai Kolarov - Cellist and Lecturer/Ethnomusicologist
Dr. Nickolai Kolarov graduated from the Bulgarian State Academy of Music, Sofia and received his master degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City where he studied with Nina Gordon. He also studied with Igor Gavrish from the Moscow Conservatory of Music.
Kolarov earned his doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota
where he studied with Tanya Remenikova, student of Mstislav Rostropovich. The doctoral thesis was on the Bulgarian composer Simeon Pironkoff.
Nickolai Kolarov started his performing career in Bulgaria and was a frequent performer at the Bulgarian National Palace of Culture, the biggest concert hall in Bulgaria. Since his arrival in the United States he performs with distinguished musicians as Bair Shagdaron, Patrick O’Keefe, Adam Kuenzel, Basil Reeve, Roderick Kettlewell and Joseph Longo in both classical and contemporary repertoire in different places in the country.
He was the organizer and one of the participants in the first concerts of Bulgarian contemporary music in Kansas City.
Dr. Kolarov is the producer and one of the performers of Balkanicus - Balkan contemporary chamber music concert series. He organized and performed that concert series for the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas where he taught cello till 2006.
https://events.umn.edu/Balkanicus---Balkan-contemporary-chamber-music-concert-002188.htm
https://events.umn.edu/Balkanicus-Seventh-Annual-Balkan-Contemporary-Music-Concert-010163.htm
https://events.umn.edu/Balkanicus---the-Eighth-Annual-Concert-of-Balkan-Contemporary-Chamber-Music.htm
https://events.umn.edu/BALKANICUS-023463.htm
https://events.umn.edu/Balkanicus-10th-Annual-Concert-of-Balkan-Contemporary-Music-030623.htm
Music written especially for him by renowned Bulgarian composer Vassil Kazandjiev and Albanian Aleksander Peci was featured at Balkanicus. The Bulgarian National Radio, the Bulgarian National TV, 90.1 Kansas City Radio Station, KCTV Channel 9, TPT Channel 17, 99.5 MPR featured some of his performances.
Nickolai Kolarov’s article: “The Music for Solo Cello of Simeon Pironkov in the Reflection of His Stylistic Features” was published in 2009. (In: Palieva, Anda, ed. Simeon Pironkov - Tvorcheski Prostranstva (Creative Spaces) Sofia: Mars, 2009)Kolarov is a contributor for the “Bulgarian Folk Music” section and listening tools of Alves, William. 2006. Music of the Peoples of the World. Australia: Thomson Schirmer.
Dr. Kolarov delivers lectures on Balkan Folk Music in colleges and schools throughout Minnesota and the United States. In 2011 he was invited and had a lecture-demonstration in the Juilliard School in New York and in the Center for New Music in the University of Iowa where he presented all Bulgarian new chamber music concert together with Balkanicus Ensemble
He plays as a Bulgarian folk musician with Niks and Mila Vocal Ensemble. He hosts and produces the Balkan Jamboree http://www.kfai.org/balkanjamboree folk music show for KFAI, Fresh Air Radio in Twin Cities.
Nickolai Kolarov received Minnesota Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Grants for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was awarded Encore grant for 2004 and 2006 and Subito grant for 2006 from the American Composers Forum. Additionally he received the Fine Arts and Humanities Grant from St Thomas University in 2002. Nickolai Kolarov is a prizewinner in the Bulgarian National Competition at Provadia in 1988.
As a conductor and soloist he appeared with the Symphonic Orchestra of Northern State University of South Dakota in Aberdeen , Century College Chamber Orchestra and the 3M Symphony Orchestra.
Nickolai Kolarov was invited and performed new cello pieces on the conference of the National Association of Composers (NACUSA), Texas chapter held at Texas State University – San Marcos in February 2008. Additionally, Dr. Kolarov was an invited lecturer on the conference and spoke on Bulgarian folk and contemporary music.
He also performed at the 2010 Composer Conference of the Aspen Institute,Colorado.
Kolarov earned his doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota
where he studied with Tanya Remenikova, student of Mstislav Rostropovich. The doctoral thesis was on the Bulgarian composer Simeon Pironkoff.
Nickolai Kolarov started his performing career in Bulgaria and was a frequent performer at the Bulgarian National Palace of Culture, the biggest concert hall in Bulgaria. Since his arrival in the United States he performs with distinguished musicians as Bair Shagdaron, Patrick O’Keefe, Adam Kuenzel, Basil Reeve, Roderick Kettlewell and Joseph Longo in both classical and contemporary repertoire in different places in the country.
He was the organizer and one of the participants in the first concerts of Bulgarian contemporary music in Kansas City.
Dr. Kolarov is the producer and one of the performers of Balkanicus - Balkan contemporary chamber music concert series. He organized and performed that concert series for the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas where he taught cello till 2006.
https://events.umn.edu/Balkanicus---Balkan-contemporary-chamber-music-concert-002188.htm
https://events.umn.edu/Balkanicus-Seventh-Annual-Balkan-Contemporary-Music-Concert-010163.htm
https://events.umn.edu/Balkanicus---the-Eighth-Annual-Concert-of-Balkan-Contemporary-Chamber-Music.htm
https://events.umn.edu/BALKANICUS-023463.htm
https://events.umn.edu/Balkanicus-10th-Annual-Concert-of-Balkan-Contemporary-Music-030623.htm
Music written especially for him by renowned Bulgarian composer Vassil Kazandjiev and Albanian Aleksander Peci was featured at Balkanicus. The Bulgarian National Radio, the Bulgarian National TV, 90.1 Kansas City Radio Station, KCTV Channel 9, TPT Channel 17, 99.5 MPR featured some of his performances.
Nickolai Kolarov’s article: “The Music for Solo Cello of Simeon Pironkov in the Reflection of His Stylistic Features” was published in 2009. (In: Palieva, Anda, ed. Simeon Pironkov - Tvorcheski Prostranstva (Creative Spaces) Sofia: Mars, 2009)Kolarov is a contributor for the “Bulgarian Folk Music” section and listening tools of Alves, William. 2006. Music of the Peoples of the World. Australia: Thomson Schirmer.
Dr. Kolarov delivers lectures on Balkan Folk Music in colleges and schools throughout Minnesota and the United States. In 2011 he was invited and had a lecture-demonstration in the Juilliard School in New York and in the Center for New Music in the University of Iowa where he presented all Bulgarian new chamber music concert together with Balkanicus Ensemble
He plays as a Bulgarian folk musician with Niks and Mila Vocal Ensemble. He hosts and produces the Balkan Jamboree http://www.kfai.org/balkanjamboree folk music show for KFAI, Fresh Air Radio in Twin Cities.
Nickolai Kolarov received Minnesota Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Grants for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was awarded Encore grant for 2004 and 2006 and Subito grant for 2006 from the American Composers Forum. Additionally he received the Fine Arts and Humanities Grant from St Thomas University in 2002. Nickolai Kolarov is a prizewinner in the Bulgarian National Competition at Provadia in 1988.
As a conductor and soloist he appeared with the Symphonic Orchestra of Northern State University of South Dakota in Aberdeen , Century College Chamber Orchestra and the 3M Symphony Orchestra.
Nickolai Kolarov was invited and performed new cello pieces on the conference of the National Association of Composers (NACUSA), Texas chapter held at Texas State University – San Marcos in February 2008. Additionally, Dr. Kolarov was an invited lecturer on the conference and spoke on Bulgarian folk and contemporary music.
He also performed at the 2010 Composer Conference of the Aspen Institute,Colorado.