Lidiya Koycheva & Balkan Orkestra

Lidiya Koycheva is an art daughter: accordionist, singer and composer father of international fame and professional dancer of Balkan folk dances mother. Born in Gabrovo, in the heart of Bulgaria, Lidiya is initiated to the study of the classical piano at a very young age. Her father immediately realizes her enormous talent and decides to enroll her in international piano competitions. So, they leave Bulgaria and start touring Europe, almost always sleeping in the car for months. There are 3 of them: Lidiya, her father and her younger brother Angel, who is also a very talented pianist. They win competitions over competitions, they reap thousands of km between Italy, France and Switzerland. At the age of 17, Lidiya moves to Italy where she graduates in piano and where at the same time, she rediscovers the love for singing and for Balkan folk music, for her land, her roots, her music, made of trills, bites, odd times, dissonances. This music represents a return in the arms of her grandmother, with whom he had always had a very strong bond, a return to her home of origin where her father rehearsed at all hours of the day and night with musicians from all over the Balkans, where records were recorded and she wallowed from one side of those walls to the other with only one goal: to capture attention, to be heard. Between those walls of the house there was the smell of smoke, of rakia, of gypsy music, sweaty and consumed on Bulgarian folk instruments.

In a short time, her voice made its way into World Music. She participated in numerous international festivals such as "Womad Festival" in England, "May Day Concert" in Rome, "Notte della Taranta" in Melpignano, "Cous Cous Festival", "Inedited World Music Festival", "Terra Madre", and sang in imported festivals in Germany, France, Austria, England, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Poland. She has recorded 6 albums and shared the stage with the likes of Goran Bregovic, Incognito, Eugenio Bennato, Alvaro Soler, Dubioza Kolectiv and many others.

In 2022 she makes her solo debut with her project "Lidiya Koycheva & Balkan Orkestra". A fresh album with strong sounds, all to dance to. With this album Lidiya wants to bring the public into her world, into her caravan, into her circus, for a real party in pure Balkan style.

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Lidiya Koycheva: voice

Tony Mastrulli: guitar -  voice

Claudia Danni: accordion

Christian Ferraro: trumpet

Pietro Vitali: trumpet

Paul Zogno: bass

Steve Petrini: drum