Acad. VASSIL KAZANDJIEV is among the brightest names that have established themselves as contemporary classics in Bulgarian music. He graduated from the Music Academy in Sofia (1957), studied composition in the class of Prof. Pancho Vladigerov and conducting under Prof. Vladi Simeonov. In 1957, while still a student at the Academy, he won the laureate title for his Symphonietta for large orchestra at the Sixth International Youth Festival in Moscow, Dmitri Shostakovich was the chairman of the jury. He began his career as a conductor at the Sofia Opera (1957-1964). In 1962, he headed the Sofia Soloists chamber orchestra and worked as its chief conductor until 1978. Under the leadership of Vassil Kazandjiev, the ensemble established itself as one of the leading orchestras in Bulgaria [...]

From 26 to 30 August 2024, the 23rd International School on Condensed Matter Physics (ISCMP'23) was held at the Frederic Joliot-Curie International House of Scientists. With the scientific forum entitled "Modern Advances in New Materials and their Applications", the Institute of Solid State Physics celebrated the 155th anniversary of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Traditionally, at the Multidisciplinary Forum, distinguished scientists from all over the world and young specialists exchange experiences and ideas on problems in the fields of solid state physics, laser technologies, functional materials, soft matter, etc. This year's topics discussed were relevant to both the scientific community and society, such as new materials and processing, green technologies and clean energy, biomaterials and sensing. Participants at ISCMP'23 had the opportunity to hear presentations [...]