ACOUSTIC JAZZ TRIO FROM DIMITROVGRAD
The Acoustic Jazz Trio from Dimitrovgrad was created in 1986 with the following members: Mitya Yordanov, piano and artistic leader; Nayden Klinchev, contrabass; and Peter Ganev, drums. In 1987, following a decision of the Municipality Council of Dimitrovgrad, it became a municipal group in the cultural department.
The trio performs at various jazz meetings and festivals, including Bansko, Haskovo, Kazanluk, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofia, Stara Zagora, and Varna. In 1989, it received the Asen Ovcharov Award at the jazz meeting in Sopot, and in 2019, it won the Culture Award from the Bulgarian newspaper, Standart. The band has had concerts in Germany, Greece, and Turkey. It has been recorded on Sofia Radio, Stara Zagora Radio, and Bulgarian National Television (BNT). The trio has visited the Hungarian Cultural Institute and the Polish Institute in Sofia. Its repertoire includes popular jazz pieces and original instrumental compositions.
Maria Arnaudova has been the trio’s solo vocalist since 1987. In 1996, the band recorded the album Gershwin Songs with her. Dimitar Traichev, an artist and graphic designer from Varna, created the album’s design and the Acoustic Jazz Trio’s logo.
The Acoustic Jazz Trio has launched the following initiatives:
A Piece of Summer Art Festival since 2008
Youth Jazz Festival, most of it takes place at Dimitrovgrad schools, since 2009
Since 2012, Dimitar Rusev has visited kindergartens in Dimitrovgrad Municipality to deliver In the Fantastic World of Jazz, an educational music programme.
The trio also performs educational concerts in schools and centres for people with disabilities. It plays at art exhibition openings and book presentations.
In 2013, Dimitar Rusev received the Cultural Figure Award of Dimitrovgrad Municipality.
Mitya Yordanov was presented posthumously with the 2024 Cultural Figure Award of Dimitrovgrad Municipality.
