Rossen Balkanski was born in 1968 in Sofia.
His first steps in the world of music were with the Sofia Boys’ Choir where he used to sing from the very beginning of its foundation. At the age of 11 he began his guitar educations.
As a student in the National Music School "L. Pipkov" Rossen Balkanski was every National guitar competition prizewinner. His first attempts in composing dated from that time.
In 1982 Rossen Balkanski won the third prize at the International Guitar Competition "Kutna Hora" in the Check Republic (former Czechoslovakia). Thus he became the first international prizewinner Bulgarian guitarist. In 1989 he won his first national composer’s prize for his "Three Bulgarian Pieces".
Rossen Balkanski graduated from the Bulgarian Music Academy "P. Vladigerov". In 2000 he completed his Master degree in classical guitar and was invited to teach in the Academy. Nowadays he is the one and only who teaches classical guitar there.
He won several more prizes as a guitarist, as well as a composer. For his composition "Three Miniatures" he took the first prize at the II Academic Competition in the city of Plovdiv. In the same 2000 he became the prizewinner at the International Performers Competition.
World-class publishing houses as BIM, Daminus, Cahier de la guitare, etc issue his author’s compositions. A lot of leading guitarists play his compositions as well.
Rossen Balkanski is a member of the Union of Bulgarian Composers and a member of the Board of Directors of the Guitarists Association in Bulgaria.
