Vasil Cvetkov

Dr. Vasil Cvetkov started playing piano at the age of 5 and holds a PhD in Music Theory, with a minor in Jazz Study, from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Music Education from the Academy of Music and Dance in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and Master’s Degree in Music from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. Currantly, Cvetkov is a Lecturer in Music, piano and music theory, at the Southeastern Louisiana University. Cvetkov has delivered papers on Brubeck and Bill Evans, and theories of musical influence at regional, national and international conferences.

Cvetkov’s academic interests in music theory are as wide as the range of his compositions. His dissertation is “Chromatic Fantasy Sonata of Dave Brubeck.” In it, Cvetkov examines the interplay of classical and jazz forms in a work by a popular American composer. He has delivered papers on Brubeck at the Frederick Loewe Symposium in American Music-Gunther Schuller, and the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic Meeting at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. His Master’s Thesis ware entitled “Form and Model in the Piano Improvisation of Bill Evans,” and “The Use of Jazz and Pop Music in Piano Pedagogy.” His article “Dave Brubeck’s Definitive ‘Jazzanians,’” appeared in Journal of Jazz Studies vol. 9, no. 1.

Cvetkov has performed solo, and in chamber ensembles, orchestras, and bands in Europe and the US including the Southeastern Louisiana University Jazz Band, “Magnolia Band” in Baton Rouge, Jazz Quartet “Horus,” trio “Rococo.” He has also performed in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. He has recorded dozens of live concerts for Bulgarian National Television and other TV stations in his home country. As pianist Cvetkov recently has performed at “Bill Evans Jazz Festival” with Southeastern Faculty Jazz Qartet.

Cvetkov’s teaching method is a fusion of ideas and styles from both sides of the Atlantic. He incorporates classical, pop, and jazz music into his lessons, seeking to leverage his rich experience as an entertainer towards the effective music instruction of young adults.