Vesselin Gellev has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Japan, Mexico and the US.  He has won top prizes at the Svetoslav Obretenov Competition in Bulgaria and the Young Artists Awards in Redlands, California.  A passionate advocate of contemporary music, Mr. Gellev has participated in the Summergarden and Focus! festivals, and is concertmaster of the Absolute Ensemble, with which he has recorded four CD's on the CC'n'C label.  He performs also as concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra and of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Italy.  During the 1999-2000 season Mr. Gellev was featured as soloist in Philip Glass's Violin Concerto and Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante at Lincoln Center.  His performances have been broadcast live on WNYC and National Public Radio's Performance Today series in Washington, D.C. 

The Gellevmeister began his musical studies at age six in his native Bulgaria.  After moving to the US in 1992, he graduated with honors from the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California and received a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School in 1999.  Currently he is completing a Master's degree at Juilliard as a student of Robert Mann.  His previous teachers have included Stephen Clapp, Todor Pelev and Boyanka Shopova.