The Creators – Agartha

Lyubomir Denev JR is a conductor and composer. In 2019, Denev was awarded third prize at The Los Angeles Conducting Competition and first prize at the 7/8 Composing Competition for his ‘Balkan Suite’ performed by The Sofia Philharmonic. He was the principal conductor of Pioneer Youth Philharmonic from 2010 to 2019 and music director and principal conductor of Sofia Session Orchestra at the recording company Four For Music from 2012 to 2019. With the Sofia Session Orchestra Denev has conducted scores by Alan Silvestri, Ennio Morricone, Harry and Rupert Gregson-Williams, Brian Tyler, Thomas Bergersen, Mario Grigorov, George Strezov, Penka Kouneva as well as music for the TV series ‘The Crown’, ‘Ripper Street’, the video game LEGO Dimensions, LEGO Marvel’s ‘Avengers’, LEGO ‘The Incredibles’.

Denev’s works, arrangements and orchestrations have been performed and recorded for dozens of live concerts,TV Shows, films and radio broadcasts in the USA (FOX Channel, Miami Univercity), Germany (including Deutschlandfunk Kultur and the French Cathedral, Berlin), Bulgaria (The Bulgarian National Radio and others).

Denev has conducted his original symphonic music for the British website – FPM Music UK. Denev had successful tours and concerts in Germany/Young Euro Classic, Berlin, 2016/, China, Abu Dhabi, Hungary, Serbia, Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria. He is the conductor and one of the establishers of The Balkan Youth Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Bulgaria, Foundation Prof. Vladi Simeonov and a couple of Music Schools on the Balkan Peninsula.

Agartha The Opera – Musical comes as a natural continuation of his classical conducting experience, the love of soundtrack music and the influence of his father – the jazz pianist and composer Lyubomir Denev.

Jenny Shen is a lyricist, composer and music producer with rich experience in the performing arts. Jenny has performed in the musical theatre productions ‘Bugsy Malone’, Velma in ‘Chicago’, ‘Cabaret’, Alexi Darling in ‘Rent’ and worked backstage on ‘Urinetown: The Musical’.

Jenny’s short play, written and directed in collaboration with Andy Johnson, ‘Behind Closed Doors‘ was performed at the Hurtwood House theatre with great success. Jenny is currently studying film and game music composing at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Recent works include a comission from the Barbican Centre for the ‘Beethoven Weekender’.

Jenny joined the creative team after auditioning and singing in the concept recording of ‘Agartha the Opera-Musical’. She was also involved in the editing and re-writing of the lyrics and book.

Nikola Petrov is a percussionist and conductor. He graduated with a Master’s degree from the National Academy of Music ‘Prof. Pancho Vladigerov’. He has won over twenty national and international percussion competitions. Nikola has toured Europe and North America as a percussionist with numerous orchestras. In 2015, Nikola founded Petrov Art School in Sofia, a music school for young children. The idea for ‘Agartha’ was born in a spontaneous conversation between Nikola and Lyubo.