Nedko Petrov Tsarev was born in 1978. in the city of Varna. From an early age he showed interest in folklore, and later began to play the bagpipe in the school of the famous bagpiper and teacher Dinyo Marinov. In parallel with the training began a rich concert activity organized by his teacher, namely: participation individually, with bagpipe orchestra and chamber group in the city holidays, as well as at fairs in Koprivshtitsa, Petrova Niva, Golitsa and others. He plays and gains practical experience with amateur ensembles from the town of Devnya and the village of Kipra. Working with his eminent teacher left a deep and lasting mark on him, and shaped his desire to continue his education in a vocational school.
In 1992 applied and was admitted to SMU “Philip Kutev” in Kotel. There his teacher is Kolyo Sofenkov, who “opens the door” back to the old bagpipes and their authentic melodies. The teachers who also have a fruitful influence on his musical development are: Stepan Chervenkov, Krassimira Sofenkova, Sashka Chenkova, Maria and Ognyan Hristovi, Dimitar Stoykov, Georgi Penev. It was at this time that he began to develop his improvisational and authorial skills. He gave concerts with the training orchestra and a chamber group in Berlin / Germany /, Sofia, Kotel, Tvarditsa, Teteven, Marash, Straldzha.
He is the winner of an award from the first national children’s folklore competition in Varna, created and organized by Dinyo Marinov, currently named after him. Already formed as a leader with pedagogical qualities, he looks to his higher education.
1998 was admitted to the Music Academy in Plovdiv in the class of Assoc. Prof. Maria Stoyanova. Student life meets him with a colorful palette of people and musicians from all over Bulgaria. In the heart of Thrace he strengthened his individual instrumental bagpipe style – Thracian. It was then that the idea of pedagogical activity was subconsciously born. In 2003 he published his first textbook, Bagpipe Plays. In 2004 he graduated with a master’s degree in “Instrumental Art”.
The death of Dinyo Marinov brought him back to Varna in 2005. There he began his real pedagogical activity. He started as a Gaida teacher in the so-called “Elin Pelin” with one student. Gradually, over time, the number of students and the places where he works increases. In the academic year 2005/2006 he started teaching Gaida at the Dobri Hristov National Educational Institution in Varna. His colleagues are Dimo Zhelezov, Dimitar Georgiev-Mutata, Simeon Simeonov, Daniela Indjova. For some time she rehearsed with the bagpipe with Tanya Hristova in the “Sofroniy Vrachanski” primary school and in the community center in the village of Topoli. In 2007 he concentrated his activity in only three places – NSI “Dobri Hristov”, PS “Anton Strashimirov” and the so-called “Enlightenment-1900” in Devnya, where he became chairman of the community center .
Teaching at Anton Strashimirov Primary School gives him a unique chance to work with children from the first grade. The number of students is growing, and the disciplines in which he is trembling are increasing – Gaida, Gaidara Orchestra, Chamber Group and Children’s Orchestra. There he was supported and gained pedagogical experience from his colleague Nikolay Doktorov. At the same time, the concert activity of its graduates and their participation in national, international, regional competitions and folklore fairs is increasing. Nearly 40 students study bagpipes a year in Nedko Tsarev’s classes. With so many children willing to play the bagpipe, he developed his own method and style of teaching. His authorial and experimental ideas turned into textbooks – “Neranza – fun songs and melodies for bagpipes” in 2012, “Light plays for bagpipes” in 2014. His students leave a lasting mark on every stage, participating in a number of competitions. These are “Magic Rhythms”. Novi Pazar, ” Dinyo Marinov ”, Varna, ” Orpheus ‘Spring’ ‘, Stara Zagora,’ ‘Song Rainbow over Kotel’ ‘, Kotel,’ ‘Orpheus’ Talents ”, Plovdiv, ” Danube Nightingales ” Ruse and others. They have won many awards and prizes, and he himself has been awarded for his pedagogical qualities. Nedko Tsarev became an example for some of them, and in turn they became teachers of Gaida. In 2017 he became the winner of the Varna Award – Teacher of the Year in the field of folklore. Then “Collection of Bagpipe Plays” was published, where his co-author was his colleague Alexei Enchev.
