EDRIO EDREV-MASTER LUTHIER

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The EDREV family: Father,  Daughter and  Son- heritage and tradition of an art called "Lutherie"!

Master Luthier EDRIO EDREV /father/ was born on 16.12.1958 in the village of Vetren, district of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, EU. He graduated with honors the Secondary Arts School in Woodcarving and Interior Architecture in the town of Tryavna. In 1979 he started work at "Cremona" factory and after the town of Kazanlak and the town of Cremona became twin cities he was offered by the Italian part to be sent there to study as a scholarship student. Thus he became the first Bulgarian luthier to graduate from the International Professional Institute for String Musical Instruments and Wood Technology - "Antonio Stradivari" in Cremona - Italy from 1981 to 1985. He graduated from there under the guidance of the world famous luthiers Bissolotti, Amighetti, Scolari. He was in contact with leading world famous master luthiers, tradesmen and musicians. 1991-1993 Edrio graduated from  the school for professional fiddlestick making in the town of Cremona-Italy. Upon returning to Bulgaria, he founded a Lutherie class at the Secondary School of Arts.

He is also the first teacher in technology and practice of Lutherie. Edrio organized courses in Lutherie in the factory of "Cremona" and even today there are students of his who work in the factory. In 1998 he set up the first regional association of master luthiers of which he was unanimously elected a chairperson until 2015.

Edrio has been a member of the Association of Italian Luthiers Cremona-Italy since 1990.

He is a licensed valuer of instruments at the Association for Privatization, a permanent expert to the Ministry of Culture and has been a holder of Certificate of the Association of Business valuers since 1998.

He took part in many national and international exhibitions and competitions from which he got his prizes and medals:

• 1987 - International competition Sofia-Kazanlak and award for best presentation of a young Bulgarian luthier granted by "Hemus" Foreign Trade Association- Sofia

• 3rd award viola - 1989 - International Competition in the Czech Republic - Gradec Karlovec, Award for acoustics from the Tokyo Conservatory of Music, Japan.

• 4th award - 1993 - International Competition in Hungary - Budapest and the special

award of Stefano Conia

• 4th award viola- 1995 - International Competition Italy - Baveno and a special award with viola

• 3rd award- 1999- International Competition Italy- Baveno and a bronze medal

• 3rd award- 2001 - International Competition Italy- Baveno, with unawarded first prize and a bronze medal

In 2017 Edrio was bestowed the freedom of the town of Kazanlak for exceptional achievements in the field of arts and making the town of Kazanlak popular on national and international level.

Edrio continues his career as an adjudicator at international competitions:

• 2011 - Concorso Nazionale ed Internazionale de Pisogne, Italia

• 2013 - 7° Concorso Nazionale di Liuteria Cremona - Mozzate- Milano

• 2015 - 6° Concorso Nazionale ANLAI

• 2017 - Concorso Internazionale di Liuteria Sesto Fiorentino

Edrio works at his own studio together with his children - Radiana Edreva and Plamen Edrev, who have inherited his profession and continue the tradition of the old master luthiers of Kazanlak. We makes, repairs and restores violins, violas, violoncellos, contrabasses, fiddlesticks and baroque instruments.

Since 2005 they have been taking part in International Exhibitions on an annual basis: • Mondo Musica Cremona- Italia• Musikmesse Frankfurt- Germany• Messe Frankfurt Shanghai - China