About Zahari Metchkov

 Both a pianist and an organist, Dr. Zahari Metchkov has performed at such venues as New York’s Avery Fisher Hall and Washington’s Kennedy Center. He has concertized in China, Israel, Bulgaria, and the United States. Dr. Metchkov released his first CD in 2008 - a recording of works for piano and orchestra by Franz Liszt and Cesar Franck and a second recording project featuring solo works for piano and organ completed in the Spring of 2014. In 2022, he premiered with the Pueblo Symphony his orchestration for piano and orchestra of Rachmaninoff’s Fantasy No. 1, originally for two pianos.

Native of Sofia, Bulgaria, Dr. Metchkov holds DMA in piano performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, Ohio. He is a Professor of Music at Colorado State University Pueblo, teaching applied piano, chamber music, and pedagogy. Zahari was the 2013 recipient of the CSU Pueblo’s Outstanding Service and Transformative Leadership Award and the 2014 recipient of CHASS Outstanding Faculty of the Year. In 2018, he received the Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Award. In 2022 he received the Colorado State Teachers Association “Teacher of the Year” Award.  Dr. Metchkov has also taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music as well as Youngstown State University.  Currently Dr. Metchkov is the Artistic Director of the Pueblo Keyboard Arts Festival and Piano Conversations Concert Series, Pueblo. From summer of 2022 he serves as Organist and Director of Concert Series at First Christian Church, Colorado Springs.

Placing high priority over the education of young pianists in Southern Colorado, Dr. Metchkov has served as President of the Colorado State Music Teachers Association, a chapter of the Music Teachers National Association. Students from his private studio have garnered state and national awards. He is a founding member of the Southern Colorado Music Adventure Camp.

Dr. Metchkov has been enjoying an active artistic life as a soloist, chamber artist, as well as church musician. He has been a guest artist with the Pueblo Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, Colorado State University Pueblo Orchestra, Colorado State University Pueblo Wind Ensemble, Suburban Symphony, University Circle Chorale, University Circle Wind Ensemble, and Pleven Philharmonic. Besides music, he also enjoys skiing, bonsai, and in 2020 completed climbing Colorado’s fifty-four 14ers. He was named the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society 2022 Emerging Bonsai Artist.
  P R E S S   K I T