An interview with Georgi Genov – part of his author concert, performed in Studio 1 of the Bulgarian National Radio, in the programme of Adelina Aleksandova “The Author and His Audience”, on 7 April 2010.
The interview is about his experience as an author, about his songs, the folklore and his work with the folklore choirs and performers. His colleagues, friends and students share their impressions on his personality and opinion on his work.
“I have special attitude towards authorship in folklore music” says Georgi Genov. I do not create a new song, it already exists, it has been passed from one generation of singers to another and such a song deserves choir singing. My approach here is not of a composer but of a builder. My inspiration comes from the ancient stone drinking fountains in the Rhodopes Mountains, particularly impressive with their five, six, even ten spouts. The master builder finds a water spring, builds a beautiful stone fountain, building in and adjusting ten spouts… Then, when looking at his creation what he has to see is only one single spout of water. Neither of these ten spouts must splash or spatter around, just the opposite, they must flow as if being one. It is this remarkable skill that has always amazed and motivated me when rehearsing a song to strive for the same mastery. It is not about arrangements, for what I do is just grasp my feeling from the song and express it through choir singing.”
“I would like to congratulate Georgi Genov on being an irreplaceable person regarding our musical culture and I do bow down before his talent and his artistic flair in everything he is doing … We love putting on concerts together… I really admire the girls and I am full of admiration for Georgi Genov who gets that lovely sound out of them, a sound taking your breath away. And it is no wonder that we do not burst into applause immediately. We do not want to break the silence after the heavenly stream of sounds. Thank you, girls, for that splendor! Thank you, Georgi, for giving us this emotion!”
Prof. Teodora Pavlovich – conductor (“Vasil Arnaudov” Sofia Chamber Choir)