About The Competition
The international competition for percussion instruments "Pendim" was established in 1999 in Plovdiv by the percussion instruments teacher at NUMTI "Dobrin Petkov" Pencho Penchev.
To this day, the competition is the only specialized competition for percussion instruments in Bulgaria, with high prestige and international fame, proven by the extremely bright seven editions so far.
In its twelve-year history, the contest “Pendim” was a reason for creative cooperation between the main organizer – “Pendim” foundation and many authoritative countries, cultural and private institutions and organizations, percussion instruments producers, and music labels in Bulgaria and abroad, which were co-organizers, partners or sponsors:
• The Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria;
• National fund “Culture”;
• Municipality of Plovdiv;
• National school of music and dance arts “Dobrin Petkov”;
• Opera and Philharmonic Society (today known as State Opera of Plovdiv);
• Polish Institute in Sofia;
• Art gallery „George Papazov”;
• Foundation “Musical Youth”;
• KCM 2000 Group;
• “DRAGIEV I KO” OOD;
• FILKAB AD;
• Bulgarian National Radio;
• Radio Plovdiv;
• Yamaha Performing Artist;
• Marimba One (California, USA);
• Pustjens Percussion Products (The Netherlands);
• Percussion Brandt (Germany);
• Norsk Musikforlag (Norway);
А proof for the authority of the contest are the names of popular, world-famous singers, musicians, and percussion teachers, which were jury members in the different editions of the competition:
• Peter Sadlo (1962 – 2016) - professor in the University of Music in Munich, Germany, and The Mozarteum University Salzburg, Austria, art director in The Music Festival in Basel, Switzerland, solo timpanist in Munich Philharmonic, concert artist, and composer;
• Katarzyna Mycka – professor in Music academy Pandarevski, Poznan, Poland, founder of International academy of marimba in Poland, concert artist;
• Bogdan Bacanu – professor in the Anton Bruckner University in Linz, Austria, concert artist;
• Emmanuel Séjourné – professor in the Music Conservatory in Strasbourg, France, composer and concert artist;
• Nebojsa Zivkovic – professor in the University of Minneapolis, USA and the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, composer and concert artist;
• Tatyana Karparova – professor in NMA “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov, Sofia;
• Pencho Penchev - longtime teacher in NUMTI “Dobrin Petkov, Plovdiv;
• Mariya Palieva – longtime teacher in NMU “Lyubomir Pipkov”, Sofia;
• Simeon Serafimov - longtime teacher in NUI “Panayot Pipkov”, Pleven;
• Tatyana Koleva – concert and ensemble artist;
• Alexander Kamenarov – concert artist, solo timpanist in The Nation Philharmonic in Germany;
• Alexander Georgiev – teacher in the Music academy in Klagenfurt, Austria and concert artist;
As a concept, regulation, and implementation, the Pendim competition enables participants from different nationalities and educational levels to compete, contact and exchange performing and pedagogical experience, which is practically one of the most valuable means of promoting and raising the level of professional musical art. Impressive is not only the number of participants in the various competitions - between 50 and 70 instrumentalists (from all national music and art schools in our country, as well as a significant number of participants from abroad), but also the fact that the competition has given a fantastic opportunity to laureates and award winners to continue their education in prestigious universities in Europe and later establish themselves as outstanding professionals on the international stage. Enjoying increased interest among young musicians, the specialty of percussion instruments has always attracted many students and a large audience of professionals, fans, and amateur musicians. A circumstance that has turned the Pendim competition into a significant event both in the modern cultural life of Plovdiv and in the 75-year history of the Plovdiv Music School, on whose territory the competition is traditionally held.