Bulgarian folk music is my deepest passion. Since I was a child I have always had a mysterious love for music from Eastern Europe, but when when I first heard the sound of the Bulgarian State Television Female Choir coming down through my headphones back in the spring of 2007, I did not know what had just happened to me.
I was stunned, I was moved to tears; it was a moment unlike any that had come before, and yet I felt that I was being called back home in a way I simply could not explain.

In a remarkable turn of events, only months later I found myself in Los Angeles and invited to sing in the CalArts Bulgarian Choir under the guidance of Fulbright Scholar and Plovdiv Folk Academy alum Kate Conklin. There, over two magical semesters I feasted my senses on choral arrangements of folk songs from all across Bulgaria, and a seed was planted that would mark the beginning of my journey into the rich and diverse world of the Bulgarian folk tradition. On returning to England, to meet my growing desire to delve deeper into the music I decided to base my disseration on “Bulgarian Vocal Technique and Challenges for Non-Native Singers”. The research and interviews connected me with native singers and choral leaders both in Bulgaria and across USA and Europe (including Le Mystere De Voix Bulgares and The London Bulgarian Choir), culminating in a deep appreciation for the sophistication and richness of the tradition.
 
In the years that have followed, I have had the chance to continue to hone my craft and delve deeper into vocal production through private coaching and courses with Kate Conklin. I have also had the enormous fortune, through the connections of New York based singer and musical director Vlada Tomova, to study advanced vocal works with some of Bulgaria's most highly respected vocal masters in Bulgaria itself - including some of the original singers and soloists of Le Mystere de Voix Bulgares and The Philip Kutev Folklore Ensemble. Each summer for the last few years I have spent time studying in Bulgaria - most recently, in August of this year I attended a week long masterclass series with Neli Andreeva in the beautiful mountains outside Sofia.

I continue to be a student of this musical tradition and leap at every opportunity I find to deepen my musical understanding, refine my vocal craft and learn more about this amazing culture.
 
This desire I have to understand; both what it is that makes this music so extraordinary, and, how on earth someone like me could even begin to learn how to sing it, has not waned with more knowledge, but only deepened. The more I learn about the Bulgarian folk tradition, the more I appreciate just how much there is to discover and just how utterly precious and vital it is to preserve.
 
It is in that spirit that I wish to share some of what I have learned, and to offer others the chance to discover for themselves the utter beauty of this art form. My real desire is that more people out here in rural Devon can share in this delicious music and discover some of the joy I personally feel whenever I am immersed in it!
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I am extremely grateful to all of the extraordinary singers and teachers who I have had the fortune of studying with and who continue to guide my work, and I simply cannot wait to finally share this massive LOVE I have by introducing just a little of this stunning music with others.​