Biography
Born into a musical family in Pleven, Bulgaria, Dilyan studied at the ‘Panayot Pipkov’ National School of Arts. At the age of seven he began playing the piano under the tutorage of Antoaneta Vodenicharova. In 2013, he was offered a scholarship to study as an International Music Scholar at Whitgift School, London where he studied with Tatiana Sarkissova. In September 2015 Dilyan commenced his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, tutored by Head of Keyboard Ronan O’Hora and Peter Bithell.
Dilyan has won prizes in many prestigious competitions in both Bulgaria and abroad, including First Prize at the 20th National Competition ‘Varban Varbanov’, Burgas, Bulgaria, Second Prize at 2nd National Competition for Pianists ‘Mila Mihaylova’, Varna, Bulgaria, First Prize at the 5th National Competition ‘Diko Iliev’, Vratsa, Bulgaria, Third Prize at the 8th International Competition ‘Franz Schubert’, Rousse, Bulgaria, Third Prize and a Special Prize of Foundation ‘Ss. Cyril and Methodius’ at the International Music Competition ‘Young Virtuosos’, Sofia, First and a Special Prize for best interpretation of a piece composed by Pancho Vladigerov at the National Competition for Pianist and violinists ‘Pancho Vladigerov’, Shumen, Bulgaria, First prize at the 18th International Music Competition ‘Hopes, Talents, Masters’ Dobrich, Bulgaria, Third Prize at the 1st Concorso Internationale di Pianoforte “Mme. Rosina Lhevinne”- San Marco di Castellabate, Italy and many others.
He has taken part in master classes with many leading pianists, most notably Craig Sheppard, Dmitri Alexeev, Robert Levin, Janina Fialkowska, Ludmil Angelov, Milena Mollova, Plamena Mangova, Marina Kapacinskaya, Henri Sigfridsson, Yuliya Lipmanovich.
Dilyan frequently performs as a soloist with orchestras, in addition to giving solo recitals. He has performed in Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Germany, Poland, UK and others. Since arriving in the UK Dilyan has performed regularly in many venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Milton Court, Bulgarian Embassy, Chelmsford Cathedral and Trinity College, Cambridge. He has performed the Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor op. 16 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Whitgift Chamber Orchestra, receiving much acclaim for this stylish interpretation.
