# Yavor Konov

Yavor Svetozarov Konov Bulgarian: Явор Светозаров Конов, (born 23 October 1964), is a Bulgarian classical pianist, professor, author and translator of books, articles and textbooks in music.

## Early life and education

Born in Sofia, Konov studied piano with Lyubomir Pipkov at the National Music High School there in 1983, and in 1991 he studied musicology (polyphony) and chorus conducting at the National Academy of Music, Sofia. Four years later he finished harpsichord master class in Orvieto, Italy. Successfully presented his theses, Konov became Doctor of Art in 1998 and Doctor of Art Sciences in 2006.

## Career

For the period of November 1992 to November 2010 he worked at South-West University "Neofit Rilski" in Blagoevgrad. In 2005 Yavor Konov became Professor of Polyphony at the Department of Music at the Faculty of Arts. In 2008 he became Director of the University Resource Center for Francophone Studies at South-West University. Since December, 2010 Yavor Konov has been working as a professor at the Department of Music at New Bulgarian University, Sofia. He delivered lectures as a guest-lecturer at Sofia University and Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, as well.
Besides being a lecturer, prof. Konov was a co-founder and secretary of the Music Society "Vassil Stefanov" (Sofia). He was also a deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine Music. Yesterday. Today from its setting up to 2012.

## Personal life

Yavor Konov has been married to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Theodora Bolyarova-Konova, PhD since 1999. They have 2 children – Theresa (2000) and Andrey (2007).

## Publications

Prof. Yavor Konov is an author of more than 200 publications, including textbooks, annotated translations, monographs, articles, scientific studies, etc.

### Textbooks

* "About Polyphony" (1995, 2/2001, 3/2003)
* "Culture and Musical Art" (1997)
* "Ideas and Approaches for Natural Piano Playing" (2003)

### Monographs

* “First Harpsichord Treatise: “The Principles of Harpsichord” of de Saint-Lambert, 1702” (1998)
* “Sébastien de Brossard and his Dictionary of Music” (2003)
* “Over Gioseffo Zarlino and The Art of Counterpoint” (2004)
* “Lexicographic, Historiographic & Bibliographic Heritage of Sébastien de Brossard (1655–1730)": Ecclesiastic, Musician & Erudite (2008)
* “Sébastien de Brossard: Dictionary of Music (1705). Yavor Konov – translation and comments (2010)

### Annotated translations of

* The Principles of Harpsichord (Paris, 1702) and New Treatise about the Accompaniment of Harpsichord, Organ and Other Instruments (Paris, 1707) by de Saint-Lambert (1998)
* Practical Elements of Thorough-Bass by W. A. Mozart (1999)
* The Art of Counterpoint (1558) by Gioseffo Zarlino (2003)

### Electronic publications

* Konov, Yavor (2014) "About Johan Sebastian Bach, Inventions", Teaching at NBU. Working Paper. Scientific electronic archive of NBU
* Ferran, Dominique and Konov, Yavor (2014) Historical review of old fingerings, translation and comments. Scientific electronic archive of NBU
* Spit, Noel and Konov, Yavor (2014) "Harpsichord playing / tapping / according to Francois Couprein, Saint-Lambert and Ramo", translation and comments. Scientific electronic archive of NBU
* Bomon, Olivier and Seru, Bruno and Konov, Yavor (2015) "Harpsichord in all its states: An Interview with Professor Olivier Bomon, harpsichordist", July 4 and 8, 2003 / Yavor Konov, Translation and Comments. Scientific electronic archive of NBU
* Konov, Yavor (2015) "What could we talk about to anyone who came to study music and musicology at NBU". Scientific electronic archive of NBU

## Acknowledgement

His contribution to music and musicology is highly appreciated by the most authoritative institutions in this field – the Studio of Studies at the Baroque Music Center in Versailles and the Faculty of Music and Musicology of the university in Paris (Sorbonne). Konov is identified as an "excellent specialist" (2009). “Round Table around Yavor Konov” was held on November 24, 2011, in the library of Versailles. The event was organized in honor of Bulgarian edition of The Dictionary of Music by de Brossard and on the initiative of leading French musicologists. The case is considered to create a precedent in French-Bulgarian relations.

## Awards and honors

* "Book of the Year" – award of the Union of Bulgarian Composers, section "Musicologists" (2003, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2019).