Jassen Todorov has distinguished himself as one of the most prominent violinists of his generation. Dubbed “an outstanding violinist…a player to watch” by the British music journal The Strad, Mr. Todorov has given numerous performances throughout Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia. He is also an active performer in his native Bulgaria, where he is considered one of the country’s most prized musicians.

With a repertoire including works from all styles and epochs, Mr. Todorov has recorded the complete sonatas of Bach, Brahms and Ysaye, as well as Beethoven’s Sonatas Nos. 6 and 10. The Strad described him as “a violinist of rare technical ability…he brings musicality to his performances…his left hand is able to deliver Ysaye’s demands in the many mercurial passages with commendable accuracy” and the American Record Guide portrayed it as “high praise…an important release for admirers of Ysaye’s music.”

Mr. Todorov began his musical education in Bulgaria and furthered his studies at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, California. A top prize winner of several national and international competitions, he earned his bachelor’s degree in violin performance from Harid Conservatory, Florida, and his master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, New York. From 2000 to 2003, he served as the teaching assistant to Professor Oleh Krysa at the Eastman School and held a violin position at the University of Rochester. Mr. Todorov is the recipient of full scholarships and prestigious awards including the Eastman award for excellence in teaching (2002) and the Crystal Lyre for achievements in music (2006). From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Todorov served as the Director of the School of Music and Dance at San Francisco State University. Currently, Mr. Todorov is a Professor of Violin at San Francisco State University and Visiting Professor at Xinjiang Arts University, Xinjiang Normal University and Qimingxing School of Music, China.

Mr. Todorov plays a 1914 Enrico Rocca violin.

Mr. Todorov is an avid pilot and photographer. He holds a Commercial Pilot’s License and Flight Instructor Certificate.

REPERTOIRE

SONATAS
J. S. Bach: All Sonatas & Partitas
Bartok: All Sonatas
Beethoven: All Ten Violin Sonatas
Brahms: All Three Violin Sonatas
Debussy: Violin Sonata
Elgar: Sonata in A minor
Faure: Sonata No. 1 in A Major
Franck: Sonata in A Major
Grieg: All Three Sonatas
Lazar Nikolov: Sonata No. 2
Mozart: Eighteen Violin Sonatas
Poulenk: Violin Sonata
Prokofiev: All Sonatas
Ravel: Sonata in G Major
Respighi: Violin Sonata
Saint-Saens: Sonata No. 1 in D minor
Schnittke: Sonata No. 1
Schubert: Sonata in A Major, Three Sonatinas
Schumann: Sonata in A minor
Tartini: Sonata in G minor “Devil’s Trill”
Ysaye: All Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27

ADDITIONAL REPERTOIRE
Barkauskas: Partita for Solo Violin
Brahms: Scherzo; Hungarian Dance No. 17
R. Caltabiano: “Lines from Poetry”
R. Campbell: Aria for solo violin
J. L. Darbellay: “Valere”
Sandro Gorli: “Lieve”
Messiaen: Theme and Variations
James Niblock: Aria and Rondo (To Jassen Todorov)
Paganini: Select Caprices for Solo Violin
A. Part: “Fratres”
Ravel: Tzigane
Reger: Prelude and Fugue in A minor
Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso; Havanaise Op. 83
Tapkov: Improvisation for Solo Violin
Tchaikovsky: Melodie, Valse-Scherzo
Ysaye: Valse-Caprice
Schubert: Rondo; Fantasy
Szymanowski: 3 Paganini Caprices, Nokturn & Tarantela
Vladigerov: Bulgarian rhapsody “Vardar”
Wieniawski: Polonaise in D Major, Op. 4
Zografski: Rhapsody