Boyan Ivanov

Boyan Ivanov is a versatile and virtuosic Bulgarian-British clarinettist, who has enjoyed considerable success as a solo, chamber and orchestral musician, performing at some of the world’s most prestigious venues including the Barbican Centre, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Cadogan Hall, Kings Place, and St John’s Smith Square, among many others.

Ivanov studied at the Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts under the tutelage of Petko Radev, long-time principal clarinettist of Milan’s La Scala, where he toured extensively throughout Europe and South Korea, as well as winning numerous prizes and awards including the Third Prize at the 2003 International Competition for French Music Performance. He continued his studies with Spanish virtuoso Joan Enric Lluna at Trinity College of Music graduating with the FTCL Recital Diploma in Clarinet, before progressing to postgraduate studies at the renowned Guildhall School of Music & Drama, studying under Julian Farrell, Nicholas Carpenter and Andrew Webster. During his time at GSMD, Ivanov was awarded the Making Music Philip & Green Award for Young Concert Artists which led to numerous recitals for music societies across the UK and invitations to perform as a soloist with the Dulwich and Warwickshire Symphony Orchestras.

Ivanov has participated in master classes with eminent clarinettists such as Michael Collins, Andrew Marriner, Robert Spring, Charles Neidich, Reiner Wehle, and Hervé Cligniez to name but a few.

Ivanov continues as principal clarinet and orchestra manager of the Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra, positions he has held for eight concert seasons, since the founding of the orchestra in 2016.

Ivanov has a vibrant freelance career, playing regularly with a variety of orchestras, including Ensemble OrQuesta, Vox Vanguard, London Arts Orchestra, Orion Orchestra, Firebird Orchestra, Orpheus Sinfonia, King’s Chamber Orchestra, Aldwych Sinfonia, Guernsey Sinfonietta, and the Co-Opera Company and OperaUpClose. He has been a regular guest principal clarinet of the State Opera Plovdiv Orchestra since 2017. In addition, Ivanov is a founding member of the Inspirity Ensemble and the Trinity Trio with which he remains an active solo and chamber musician to this day.

Highlights of Ivanov’s performance career include his Kings Place debut performing the UK premiere of American composer Deborah Netanel’s Before, and a further performance at the venue collaborating with the world-renowned Chilingirian Quartet, and performing at Wigmore Hall as part of the Chamber Tots programme. In addition, Ivanov participated in the ‘Celebrating Jon Lord’ concert with the Orion Symphony Orchestra at The Royal Albert Hall beside rock legend Deep Purple and subsequently performed on the ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ UK tour with Rick Wakeman.

Recent solo engagements include successful tours to China with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria) in which he performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major (December 2018) and Bassi’s ‘Rigoletto’ Concerto-Fantasy (December 2019); further performances of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major with the innovative immersive classical arts production company, Vox Vanguard; a performance at the prestigious ceremony of the Gramophone Classical Music Awards as part of the Pan-Armenian Symphony Orchestra (broadcast live on Medici.tv and Classic FM); and two performances at the ‘Golden Diana’ Music Festival in his hometown of Yambol, Bulgaria. This included appearances in a recital with regular chamber partner French-Taiwanese pianist Lysianne Chen, and as a soloist in Theodosii Spasov’s Double Concerto for kaval, clarinet and symphony orchestra, alongside the legendary Bulgarian kaval player himself (both concerts were recorded and broadcast on Bulgarian television channel DTV). In addition, the Ivanov & Chen Duo returned to Bulgaria to perform at the prestigious Balabanov's House Music Days International Festival in Plovdiv in July 2019.

In 2020 and 2022 Boyan Ivanov was invited to act as juror for the International Competition for Young Musicians in Ohrid, North Macedonia. In October 2022 Boyan made his Brazil debut, performing Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No.2 as a soloist of the OSRN - Orquestra Sinfônica do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil. During his visit to Natal, he also held a clarinet masterclass for the students of the music department of The Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, one of the 10 largest universities in Brazil. In April 2023, Boyan Ivanov was honoured to be an assistant of the legendary British clarinettist Andrew Marriner, in a masterclass held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Boyan and Andrew performed Krommer’s Concerto for Two Clarinets and Orchestra, No 1 Op. 35 and Mendelssohn’s Konzertstück No.2, Op.114 as soloists with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra, in the closing concert of the course. In 2025, Boyan was invited to play with the Bulgarian National Symphony Orchestra - Sofia Philharmonic - as guest principal clarinet in the orchestra’s tour in China.

The Ivanov & Chen Duo will release their debut album, Euphony, in 2025 featuring classic works and unique popular arrangements for clarinet and piano including music by Brahms, Elgar, Sarasate, Piazzolla, and Gershwin.