Award winning cellist Dr. Boyan Bonev, a native of Bulgaria, artistic director for Seaside Strings, and music professor at the University of West Florida, performed for students at Bay Elementary, Van R. Butler Elementary, and Emerald Coast Middle School Monday, November 13, 2017 as part of an outreach program by the Seaside Institute. 

Dr. Bonev performed for entranced audiences at the schools on a highly prized 300 year old cello built in Cremona Italy.  As part of each visit, Dr. Bonev invited students to come forward and try his "baby cello" which he also brought for the visits.   

Boyan holds Doctor of  Music and Master of Music degrees from the Florida State University, and Bachelor of Music degree from the National Music Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria. 

Dr. Bonev is an award winning cellist, and has performed recitals across the United States and Europe. Currently, Bonev teaches cello, double bass and chamber music at the University of West Florida. Prior to joining the faculty at UWF, he taught cello and double bass at the Albany State University and Darton College. Bonev is on the faculty of the Florida State University Summer Music Camps and taught cello and chamber music as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Florida State University.

submitted by Keitha Bledsoe