Atanas Ourkouzounov

Atanas Ourkouzounov (born 1970) is a Bulgarian classical guitarist and composer.

Atanas Ourkouzounov was born in Burgas (Bulgaria) and lived in Sofia where he tok up the guitar with Dimitar Doychinov. He continued his studies in France having as teachers Arnaud Dumond, Alexandre Lagoya and Olivier Chassain. At the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris (where he graduated in 1997 with an unanimous Premier Prix in guitar) he has studied chamber music, analysis, ethnomusicology and generative improvisation. As composer he has been awarded with several prizes (« Michele Pittaluga – Città di Alessandria » - Italy, 1997 - ; « Paolo Barsacchi » - Italy, 1997 - ; « Il fronimo – Suvini Zerboni » - Italy, 1998 - ; « Ciudad de Montevideo » - Uruguay, 1998 - ; « Carrefour mondial des guitares » - Martinique, 1998-).

His pieces are published by Doberman-Yppan (Canada), Henry Lemoine (France), Suvini Zerboni (Italy), Daminus (Germany), Margaux (Germany), Mel Bay (U.S.A.), D’Oz (Canada), Tuscany (U.S.A.).

Several internationally recognized performers have played his works. Among them Shin-Ichi Fukuda, Scott Tennant, Alberto Vingiano, Eduardo Isaac, Pablo Marquez, Antigoni Goni , Trio de Cologne, Gruber-Maklar , Thibault Cauvin, Dimitri Illarionov , Fabio Zanon, Thomas Muller- Pering, Stanley Yates, Patrick Kearney, etc.

As guitar player he performs solo concerts, with the flutist Mie Ogura and with the Ourkouzounov Ensemble (featuring Alberto Vingiano, guitar, Virginie Constant, cello and Mie Ogura, flute). He has been invited to perform and teach at several music festivals such Chitarre dal mondo, Switzerland ; « Nuits atypiques de Langon » France ; « Guitar Festival of Aarhus », Danmark ; « Festival Internazionale di Fermo », Italy ; « Festival Luigi Legnani », Italy ; « Festival d’Antony », France ; « Zevener Gitarrenwoche », Germany ; « Gendai Guitar », Japan;”Shonai Guitar Festival”,Japan;”Guitare Lachine”,Canada…

In 2003 was released the first CD by the Ourkouzounov Ensemble (« Contes des Balkans ») with the Italian label KLE featuring his own music. In 2006 was released his second CD with the flutiste Mie Ogura (music by K.Jarrett,C. Debussy,B.Bartok,G.Gershwin and his own pieces),publishe it with the company Gendai Guitar-Japan. He teaches at the Conservatoire “Maurice Ravel”in Paris. www.ourkouzounov.com

fr:Atanas Ourkouzounov