A project by the Bansko Jazz Academy faculty
Mihail Iossifov 50th Anniversary
Stefka Onikyan 75th Anniversary Benefit
The Academy Masters is a special project by the faculty of Bansko Jazz Academy — a concert that brings together musicians connected not only with the active jazz scene, but also with the passing on of knowledge, experience and inspiration to the next generation of artists.
The line-up features Vilislav Stoyanov, Mihail Iossifov, Milen Kukosharov, Atanas Popov and Daniele Febbo — musicians with distinctive artistic voices, different creative backgrounds and long-standing experience in jazz, improvisation and contemporary music. Their collective project naturally reflects the spirit of the Academy: a place where performance and education meet, and where music becomes a living dialogue between generations.
The concert also carries a special celebratory meaning. It marks the 50th anniversary of Mihail Iossifov — a musician whose energy, sound and artistic generosity are an important part of contemporary Bulgarian jazz. On the same evening, the festival also pays tribute to Stefka Onikyan with a benefit concert on the occasion of her 75th anniversary — a gesture of respect to one of the most recognisable and beloved figures in the Bulgarian vocal jazz tradition.
The Academy Masters is more than a concert by educators. It is a meeting point between stage, memory and future; between experienced artists and young musicians finding their own path. An evening dedicated to continuity, the freedom of jazz and the power of music to connect people, generations and stories.