I’m Kosta Bozhinov and I’m a classically trained folk musician, teacher, and researcher. I play the guitar, lute, accordion, piano, and organ. Originally from Dobrich, Bulgaria, I’ve lived in Vancouver, Canada since 2006. Music based on improvisation and an aural tradition has always resonated with me more than anything else. While I was raised with Balkan fol music, the Celtic traditional repertoire has become a major part of what I do.
I studied music at Douglas College, the University of British Columbia, and McGill University. In 2018, I completed a PhD in musicology from the University of Victoria. As a researcher, I take a Darwinian approach to musicology and am interested in the development of music as part of biocultural evolution.
Some performance highlights include concerts with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Vancouver Bach choir, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, the Kensington Sinfonia, and the Sidney Classical Orchestra.
As a recording artist, I’ve recorded soundtracks for movies and best-selling video games. Most recently, I released my first solo album, a collection of popular Celtic tunes, titled The Road Goes On. I also launched Made Up Records, a record label devoted to folk and world music.
Individuality and originality through improvisation and composition are at the core of my philosophy and approach to music. In the words of Matsuo basho: "'Do not look for the footsteps of the ancient masters; seek what they sought.”