Simo Lazarov

Simo Lazarov is a Bulgarian composer, performer, educator and one of the pioneers of electronic and computer music in Bulgaria. Born in Sofia in 1948, he developed an early passion for both music and technology — two disciplines that would go on to define his remarkable artistic career.

Lazarov received his musical and technical education in Prague and Sofia, before specialising in electronic, electroacoustic and computer music in Bratislava, Paris and the United States. In Paris, he studied composition at IRCAM, the renowned centre for contemporary music and technology founded under the leadership of Pierre Boulez.

In 1973, Lazarov joined Bulgarian National Radio, where he founded Bulgaria’s first Electronic Music Studio and served as its director until 1999. The studio quickly became an important centre for experimentation, recording and the development of electronic music in Bulgaria, bringing together music, technology and innovative approaches to sound.

As a composer and performer, Lazarov has explored a remarkably broad range of forms and genres, including electronic, electroacoustic and computer music, as well as music for film, theatre, radio and television. His extensive body of work includes hundreds of compositions, numerous albums and large-scale multimedia projects in which music, visual art and technology intersect.

Alongside his artistic career, Lazarov has made a significant contribution to education and research. In 1996, he established a pioneering specialisation in Computer Music at New Bulgarian University — the first programme of its kind in Bulgaria. He is also the author of numerous academic publications and books exploring electronic and computer music, sound, and the creative possibilities of technology in the arts.

Throughout his career, Lazarov has been an active promoter and organiser of electronic music, participating in international festivals and concerts and creating platforms for new and emerging forms of musical expression. He is an Honorary Professor at New Bulgarian University and continues to be an influential figure in the development, education and promotion of electronic and computer music in Bulgaria.

With a career spanning more than five decades, Simo Lazarov occupies a unique place in Bulgarian music history. From the very beginning, he recognised that technology could be more than simply a tool for making music — it could become an entirely new language of artistic expression.