Born into a family of musicians, Martin Panteleev took his first violin lesson at the age of four. From 1983 to 1995, he studied at "L. Pipkov" National School of Music in his home town of Sofia, Bulgaria. He continued his education at the Bulgarian State Academy of Music in the violin studio of Prof. J. Radionoff, while also studying conducting and composition with Maestro Vassil Kazandjiev and Prof. Plamen Djourov.
Panteleev’s talent was recognized early on in 1985 by Prof. Vladi Simeonoff, and soon after, at the age of nine, he played his first concerts in Italy, Greece, Brazil and Russia. As Associate Conductor of the prestigious Philharmonia of the Nations, founded by Leonard Bernstein and Justus Frantz, he performed in excess of 1,000 concerts with the Orchestra in Europe, Asia and the USA.
Martin Panteleev has worked with over 30 different orchestras, such as the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, Schleswig-Holstein Sinfonieorchester, Orchestra of Stadttheater Trier, Orquesta Symphonica di Lecce and Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared in the concert halls of Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, the Berliner Philharmonie, and the Grand Hall of Moscow State Conservatory. Festival appearances include the Rheingau Musikfestival, MDR Musiksommer and Schleswig-Holsten Musikfestival.
After a very successful tour of the United States with the Sofia Festival Orchestra in 2008, Panteleev returned to the U.S. to conduct an 18-city tour in 2011 with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, who made history as the first African orchestra to perform in the USA. Following Panteleev’s debut with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, he was invited as principal guest conductor. Starting with the 2011/2012 season, he will serve as the Orchestra’s new chief conductor.
Panteleev is also a prolific composer, having written three symphonies, a cantata for choir, orchestra and soloists entitled "Planet Steps", a concerto for percussion, and other works. His compositions have been performed in Germany, China, South Africa, Bulgaria and Macedonia.
Among the prizes and recognition awarded Panteleev over the course of his career thus far are the Johannes.Brahms Chamber Music Competition special Bela Bartok Prize in 1994; the composition prize at the “Earth and People” International Competition in 1995, and special prize for the best performance of a work by Schubert at the same event. He was nominated for a Davidoff Prize in 2000 and was awarded special recognition by the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture in 2007.
