Neshko Neshev and Kalin Kirilov

Accordionist Neshko Neshev co-founded the renown Bulgarian wedding band, Trakia, with his cousin Ivo Papazov in the 1970s. Neshev began playing accordion at the age of nine and is a master of Romani and Eastern European repertoires. A living legend in his own country, Neshev draws directly on these on these traditions but his music has a contemporary feel that features eclectic melodies and dazzling technique. Kalin Kirilov was born in Vidin, Bulgaria and received his Ph.D. in Music Theory from the University of Oregon. He currently teaches at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and continues to actively perform.