Anton Dikov plays Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2, B flat major, Op.83, Mov.4
Allegretto graciozo, BNR Symphony Orchestra, Vasil Stefanov
ANTON DIKOV
Born: July 29, 1938 - Sofia, Bulgaria
Died: October 16, 2004
The prominent Bulgarian pianist, Anton Dikov, grew up in an old family of musicians. His grandmother was among the inaugurators of the Plovdiv Opera House. His mother was a professional pianist, too, who graduated in Munich and with a degree from Vienna. His talent shone at 15. Later he graduated the Sofia music academy in the class of Professor Lyuba Encheva, then specialized in France with famous Nadya Boulanger, Arthur Rubinstein and Robert Casadesus. He was first discovered abroad. At the age of 18, in 1956, he became laureate at the international Franz Liszt contest, to be followed by Bach-1960, Rio de Janeiro-1962, and Marguerite Long-1963 to start with..
Being an exceptional interpreter, acknowledged as one of the worlds music elite, Anton Dikov has performed in the worlds most famous concert halls. As of 1974 he was a professor at the national music academy in Sofia named after Pancho Vladigerov. He has conducted regular master-classes in Korea and has taught in France and Japan. He has been member of the jury at some of the most prominent piano contests of the world like Chopin in Warsaw, Liszt-Bartok in Budapest, Marguerite Long in Paris, Tchaikovski in Moscow, Beethoven in Vienna and Pancho Vladigerov in Shumen. I think that music continues to be studied as it was in the 19th century, Anton Dikov goes on to say. Our clavier education system is not bad at all. It is based on the best of the Russian, French and German schools of music. I believe that the piano is the most difficult, the most significant and most complex instrument after the orchestra. It requires, besides the very active implementation of ones talent, also the exploitation of the entire intellectual potential of the performer. The development of a school of music is connected with the tradition of a country. We, too, have contributed to this world tradition. It may not be much, but we have! Keeping in mind that in the years of the Late Period of Brahms, we, Bulgarians, were emerging from 5 centuries of Ottoman domination and the predominant part of the population had no concern about world civilization and its values, we have greatly evolved. The foundations of professional music-making were laid within two generations only immediately after the countrys liberation. These two generations imbibed European values and returned to spread them home just like my music teacher at the academy Professor Lyuba Encheva.
Professionalism and love of music - that is what Anton Dikov taught his students in his turn. Recognition in our sphere of art comes in ones ripe age - the Maestro used to say. You need tons of optimism and courage, but it is well worth devoting your life to music, Anton Dikov believed. Prominent Bulgarian pianist Professor Anton Dikov died in a car accident on October 16, 2004.
