Zhivko Vasilev has done something few musicians manage: he has carried the kaval - the haunting shepherd's flute of the Rhodope Mountains - out of Balkan folk tradition and onto the world's contemporary stages, and made it sound entirely his own. Kaval player, composer and educator, he moves fluidly between Bulgarian folklore and jazz, funk, Latin, pop and electronic music, turning an ancient instrument into a strikingly modern voice.
He grew up in Smolyan, deep in the Rhodope Mountains where the kaval has been played for centuries. He inherited his love of music from his father, took up the instrument as a boy, and trained at the NUI "Dobri Hristov" School of Arts in Varna. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in music education from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (2014) and a master's degree in jazz from the renowned Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam (2021), where the folk instrument of his childhood met the language of contemporary jazz.
Bands and collaborations
Zhivko leads his own projects - the ethno-jazz band Outhentic and the Zhivko Vasilev Quintet - and in 2020 joined the internationally touring quartet Arifa. He also performs in the trio Harmelogic. In 2016 he recorded kaval on The Blue Road, the album by Grammy-nominated bassist Juan Garcia-Herreros (The Snow Owl). Along the way he has shared the stage and studio with artists including Christiane Karam, Roberto Quintero, Hector Martignon, Franz von Chossy, Sjahin During, Stoyan Yankoulov, Federico Pascucci, Tatiana Koleva, Angel Zaberski, Mihail Yosifov and the Wladigeroff Brothers.
On stage around the world
His kaval has been heard on some of the most respected stages in world and jazz music (each linked to the festival or press that documents it):
- North Sea Jazz Festival, Netherlands
- Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
- Rewire Festival, The Hague
- Glastonbury Festival, United Kingdom
- Cairo Jazz Festival, Egypt
- Heritage Live, Music of Pakistan
- Jodhpur RIFF, India
- Jazz Fest Wien, Vienna
- Goettingen Jazzfestival, Germany
- WND Jazz Festival, Germany
- Oranjewoud Festival, Netherlands
- Jazz au Chellah, Morocco
- Circulo de Jazz, Setubal, Portugal
- World Flutes Festival, Mendoza, Argentina
- Amsterdam Marimba Weekend, Bimhuis
- Varna Summer International Music Festival
- A to JazZ Festival, Sofia
- Ethno Jazz Festival, Chisinau, Moldova
- Nederlandse Dansdagen, Maastricht
- Feringa Jazzfestival, Unterfoehring, Germany
- TriesteLovesJazz, Italy
- Jazz al Parque, Bogota, Colombia
- Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, China
With the orchestra
As a soloist Zhivko has brought the kaval into the symphonic world, performing his own compositions with the Sofia Philharmonic, the Varna Opera Orchestra, the Banatul Philharmonic in Timisoara, the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra and the Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble.
Composing and awards
Since 2022 Zhivko has also worked as a media composer, writing for games, film and advertising, with projects for Euro Games Technology, Huawei, Coca-Cola and the "Our Home is Bulgaria" Foundation. In 2023 he won first prize in the composition competition of Palms Music and the National Academy of Music "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov" for his work "La Andaluza".
Press
All About Jazz - "Wherever Vasilev's pieces go on the genre map, propulsive energy churns throughout this session. It's a wild ride that somehow packs an entire whirlwind global tour into just one thrilling hour."
Jazz in Europe - "Vasilev's music takes the listener on a journey through the Balkans, the Orient and then to the American jazz that tastefully blends with the classical traditions in Europe."
World Music Central - on Arifa's Danubian Voyage: the kaval "adds a new dimension to their repertoire, enchanting listeners with its evocative timbre."
Jazz.sk - on his album: "The enchanting soundscapes make it one of the most interesting instrumental discoveries of the year."