The Ambassador of Spain Alejandro Polanco will honour Maestro Ludmil Angelov with the famous Order of the Officers' Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, awarded by H.G. King of Spain Felipe VI.
Officer's Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Historically, the Officers' Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic was instituted by King Fernando VII (1784-1833) on 14 March 1815, and was originally named the Royal American Order of Isabella the Catholic in memory of the great queen to whose policies the discovery of America was due. The purpose of the order is recognition in proven loyalty and services to the welfare of the overseas territories.
After the reform of state decorations in 1847, the Order is called the Order of Isabella the Catholic and, to date, is awarded as a prize for outstanding services of a civic nature performed by Spanish or foreign citizens for the benefit of Spain or which contribute significantly to the friendship and cooperation of the Spanish nation with the international community.
Reasons for awarding maestro Ludmil Angelov
Maestro Ludmil Angelov is a distinguished pianist and academician at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Historical Sciences in Toledo (Spain). He has been awarded prizes in competitions such as Senigallia (Italy) and Fr. Chopin (Poland). For years he has successfully given numerous concerts in collaboration with famous orchestras under the direction of distinguished conductors. He founded the Toledo International Music Festival (Spain) and is its artistic director. He is also the founder of the Piano Extravaganza Foundation, which organizes the International "Piano Extravaganza" Music Festival and is the founder of the International Chamber Music Festival "Cameralia", both events held annually in Sofia.
In addition to being an exceptional musician – today he is the most famous Bulgarian pianist, considered the best performer of Chopin – he is exceptionally active in organizing music festivals, in which he systematically includes Spanish performers, greatly contributing to the promotion of Spanish artists and composers. The fact that he is fluent in Spanish and his professional experience in Valencia and Toledo contribute significantly to the spread of Spanish culture and values in Bulgaria.
Maestro Angelov is a passionate admirer and friend of Spain and always shows great closeness and is open to cooperation with the Embassy of Spain in Sofia, as happened in 2020, when Maestro Angelov participated in the celebrations of the 110th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Spain.