Co-founder of Horz Collective, Novi Sad (Serbia). Co-founder of “To Be” Foundation – Фондация “Да бъде”, Sofia (Bulgaria) Multigenre output.
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Born in Yambol, Bulgaria on 1987, October 6th.
He started singing in children’s choirs in 1996 in Stara Zagora. In 2002 studied learning classical guitar in Sofia with Tinko Todorov. Then his interest in music deepened and he formed several hardcore and punk bands touring The Balkans. In 2008 was accepted in first place with bass guitar in the NMA “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”. After 2 years, he dropped-off to go to Groningen, Netherlands at the Prince Claus Conservatory to study jazz double bass. American jazz musicians such as Don Braden, David Berkman, Robin Eubanks, Alex Sipiagin, Michael Moore teach there.
Interest in free improvisation and the Dutch free-improv scene developed with names such as Michael Moore, Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennink, Wilbert de Jode and others. In 2014 Vasil went to Berlin for 6 months, during which he developed his professional path.
During January 2015 Vasil leaves for Malaga, Spain. There he taught at the EMMDAT music school, played in numerous projects and recorded his first album as a leader – Hako Trios, for the label from Algeciras – Rizoma Records. Together with colleagues and friends from the Netherlands, they created the band Horz in Novi Sad, Serbia and began producing numerous albums with original music, including Schimnik, Zemljani, Hako Trio 2, Vasil Hajigrudev sextet, etc.
During autumn of 2017 life takes him back to Sofia. There he created “To Be” foundation, participated in and organised many European and national funding projects, including the Plovdiv Program – European Capital of Culture with the Hillock Carnaval festival, the MOST Program for connection between the Balkans, Creative Europe, NFK, Musicautor, Capital Culture Program and others.
In 2022, he graduated with a master’s degree in classical double bass at NBU
Beleva & Hajigrudev project participated in WOMEX 2021, Vasil is the only musician with two original formations at the first jazz showcase in South-Eastern Europe – European Jazz Conference.