FacultyProfile Passionate Percussionist Inspires Excellence
VERSATILE LIGHT STUDIO
THERE ARE FEW ARTISTS so extraordinary they are known to all by the mention of one name only. In the world of modern percussion performance, one such name is Svet. With a Euro-cool, youthful, and mysterious demeanor, Bulgarian-born associate professor and percussion program director Svetoslav “Svet” Stoyanov is an artistically engaged percussion superstar on the Frost School of Music faculty. “As artists, we must bring magic to music, and then share that magic,” he asserts.
A seasoned performer and passionate advocate for contemporary and new music, Stoyanov is recognized internationally for captivating audiences, not only aurally but also with visual showmanship and creative staging. He has appeared worldwide in hundreds of concerts, more than 1,000 solo and concerto performances, numerous recordings, and hundreds of master classes. Stoyanov graduated from Yale and the Peabody Institute and joined the Frost School faculty in 2009 at the age of 27. He was awarded tenure in 2015, making him one of the youngest tenured percussion professors in the world. The prodigious musician recalls upon his arrival that Frost Dean Shelly Berg challenged him to develop “the percussion program of my dreams.” Berg recruited another renowned percussionist, Matthew Strauss (Houston Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra), to collaborate in building a unique program. The two musicians have a strong synergy. “We want the program to be like the ultimate artistic trampoline—but to serve different kinds of ‘athletes,’” Stoyanov says. { 44 }
SCORE MAGAZINE Spring 2017
Their graduates are successfully landing jobs in major orchestras, winning key competitions, and being accepted at other prestigious higher education institutions to further their studies. Students flock from around the world for a chance to study with the high-energy perfectionist whose demanding work ethic inspires the greatest level of commitment from his students. He says that one of the most complex aspects of teaching music is “being able to put something intangibly artistic into words.” When junior percussionist Matt Flanders from Houston, Texas, auditioned at the Frost School, he says Stoyanov “treated my audition more like a lesson, very personable and helpful.” Once enrolled, Flanders notes that things became much more intense. “The standards are set at a very high level, but the program is one of the best preparations for undergraduates, whether it be orchestral playing or chamber music. You’re given all the tools necessary for anything you want to pursue.” Ksenja Komljenović, a D.M.A. candidate from Serbia, first met Stoyanov in a master class in Europe. She waited five years for the opportunity to study with him. “Svet far exceeds my expectations,” she says. “He beautifully balances his role as a mentor and a dear human being. His knowledge and sensitivity are far beyond his years.” Stoyanov credits his mother’s encouragement for his early passion for music. “She is very driven, always telling me to shoot for the stars, to truly strive and never compromise my dreams.” It’s a message that has always stayed with him. He was performing professionally by the time he was in 6th grade. At that young age, he rode the overnight train every Friday by himself to study with Prof.Ph.Dr. Dobri Paliev, a Bulgarian percussion legend at the music conservatory in Sofia. He also attended a music high school in his hometown of Ruse, and later in Pleven. “If you choose to do something, do it at the highest level possible, or don’t do it at all,” he says.