Zahari Metchkov

                                Piano & Organ 

Interested in 20^th century music, Mr. Zahari Metchkov’s programs include works by Messiaen, Debussy, Bartok, Schnittke, Crumb, Poulenc and Pärt. His has performed at such venues as New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Washington’s Kennedy Center, as well concerts in Israel, concerto and solo performances in Bulgaria, and numerous concerts in Ohio, Michigan, Texas, and New York. Mr. Metchkov released his first CD in the spring of 2008 ­- a recording of Liszt’s Totentanz, Variations on a motive by Bach, Franck’s Symphonic Variations, and Prelude, Fuge and Variation.

Active as a pedagogue, Mr. Metchkov joined the Cleveland Institute of Music and Youngstown State University faculty in the Fall of 2008.  His courses of instruction include: Piano performance, Theory, Chamber music, and Accompanying. Additionally, Zahari has lectured for Cuyahoga Community College, the Cleveland Lecture Recital Club and Piano Sonata (CIM). 

Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, he began his musical education in the piano class of Mariana Shikova at the National School of Music in Sofia graduating with a National Honor Diploma, awarded to the top 1% of Bulgaria’s graduating seniors.  In 1999, he began his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) as a student of Mr. Paul Schenly., Mr. Metchkov was a guest artist with the Suburban Symphony of Cleveland in 2000 and in 2003 appeared with the CIM Orchestra performing Liszt’s “Totentanz” as the winner of the CIM Concerto Competition. As a valedictorian, he graduated with a double Bachelor degree in Piano and Organ Performance from CIM in 2004. Mr. Metchkov continued at CIM as a Masters student, receiving the Henry Fusner Prize for Excellence of Achievement and the Dr. and Mrs. K.L. Wu Memorial Award in Piano. In 2006, he won the educational scholarship of the Cleveland AGO chapter.  In the summer of 2007, Mr. Metchkov was invited to record piano works for the Bulgarian National Radio. 

Mr. Metchkov’s interest in chamber music has manifested itself in much collaboration with fellow musicians, performing masterpieces from Baroque to the Twentieth Century.  The last eight summers have been spent at Pianofest in the Hamptons, a music festival where he has had master classes with Paul Schenly, Arie Vardi, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Daniel Shapiro and Antonio Pompa-Baldi.

Mr. Metchkov is currently working on a DMA in piano performance at CIM studying with Mr. Paul Schenly and Mr. Antonio Pompa-Baldi. He studies organ with Mr. Todd Wilson and is the organist at the Epworth Euclid United Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio.