Known for his unique artistry, musical approach and instrumental mastery, guitarist George Vassilev was born in Varna, Bulgaria. He began guitar studies with Lijuben Haralambiev in his home town. In 1987, thanks to a grant from the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, he continued his education at the Kiev Conservatory with Nikolay Mikhailenko. Later, he studied with Maria Livia São Marcos at the Geneva Conservatory of Music, and graduated with the “Premier Prix de Virtuosité”, and received the “Master concert diploma” from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, having studied there with Ingolf Olsen.

G. Vassilev has been awarded first prizes in several prestigious international competitions, including:

1995 - First prize at the International Competition
for Musical Performers (CIEM), Geneva, Switzerland
1995 - Second prize at the International Guitar Competition
“Jacinto e Inocencio Guerrero” in Madrid, Spain (First prize not awarded)
1992/ 1994 - Second prize and the prize of the audience (1992) at the
International Guitar Competition “Francisco Tàrrega”, Benicasim, Spain
1992 - First prize at the International Competition for Musical Performers
“Maria Canals de Barcelona”, Spain
1991 - First prize at the International Guitar Competition
“Città di Alessandria”, Italy
1988 - First prize at the International Guitar Competition
“Silesian Guitar Autumn”, Tychy, Poland
1985 - First prize and Special prize at the National Music Competition for Young Artists,
Tchirpan, Bulgaria.

George Vassilev has performed in prestigious music venues worldwide, including St-Peterburg’s Hermitage; Sydney Opera House; Melbourne Arts Centre; Royal Festival Hall, London; Victoria Hall, Geneva; New Opera House, Copenhagen; and the Waterfront Hall, Belfast.

He has collaborated with concerts managers such as The Springboard Concert Trust, LACCS and IMG Artists in U.K. and “Georg Horthagel’s Konzertdirektion” in Germany. As a soloist, he has performed with conductors including Saulius Sondeckis, Thierry Fischer, Emil Tabakov, Richard Tognetti; and orchestras such as the St. Petersburg' s Hermitage Chamber Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Italy, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Sofia State Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Danish Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.