2023 Artists

Co-Artistic director of TCMF, Bulgarian violist Koko Dyulgerski is currently based in Denver, where he performs with Opera Colorado, the Colorado Symphony, and was recently appointed Principal Viola of the Central City Opera Orchestra. Koko received his Master of Music degree from Rice University in Houston as a student of Ivo-Jan Van der Werff, and previously studied under Kevork Mardirossian. During his time in Houston, Koko played regularly with the Mercury Baroque, Houston Grand Opera, and Houston Symphony Orchestras.
Also an avid chamber musician, Koko is co-founder of the Violamore Duo with his wife Leah Kovach. As a mentor, Koko loves teaching young violinists and violists and inspiring them to reach their full potential.

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Violist Leah Kovach grew up in Salt Lake City and is co-Artistic Director of the Torrey Chamber Music Festival. Leah is currently based in Denver, where she is a member of the Colorado Symphony and was recently appointed to the Central City Opera Orchestra. Leah holds degrees from Indiana University and Rice University, where her primary teachers were Atar Arad and James Dunham. Leah has performed with orchestras and ensembles across four continents, including the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. In high school, Leah was lucky to participate in the Utah Youth Symphony and study with Utah Symphony musician Julie Edwards. She is excited that TCMF is providing educational and ensemble opportunities for young musicians in other areas of the state! Leah is co-founder of the Violamore Duo with her husband Koko Dyulgerski.

Hailed by the Denver Westword for his “acrobatic” and “robust” playing, Chris Jusell is a Philadelphia-based violinist. He is the principal second violin of the Philadelphia Ballet orchestra, assistant principal second of the Central City Opera orchestra, and frequently plays with the Colorado Symphony. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Colorado State University, where he studied with Dr. Ron Francois; he has also studied with Dr. John Fadial and Maria Maxwell. Chris tours and has recorded with Nathaniel Rateliff, and formed an ambient jazz quartet with friends during the pandemic called Fuubutsushi, releasing five remotely-recorded albums to critical acclaim. Chris also conducted a youth orchestra in the mountains of Colorado for five years, and enjoys making and restoring furniture.

Annamarie Reader grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She completed her studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Rice University Shepherd School of Music, where her primary teachers were Melissa Kraut and Desmond Hoebig. While in Houston, she has established a private cello studio of her own while also freelancing and at times substituting with various ensembles in town, including River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Mercury Baroque Orchestra and the Houston Symphony. In recent summers she has enjoyed playing at Music in the Mountains in Durango, CO and the Bellingham Music Festival in Washington state.

As a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra concertmaster Dmitri Pogorelov has performed on four continents, including prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Ravinia Festival, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and the National Gallery of Art. He has also been featured on CBS, NBC, PBS, and NPR. Dmitri has collaborated with renowned jazz and bluegrass artists, performing on main
stages of Telluride, IBMA, MerleFest, and Rocky Grass festivals. His playing can be heard on numerous orchestral, crossover and chamber music recordings. Born to a family of professional musicians, Dmitri began playing the violin at age four. He has earned degrees in music performance in United States and Europe, including Doctor of Musical Arts from Northwestern University. As a member of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Dmitri performs over 100 concerts every season.
Dmitri lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife, Emily. When not playing the violin, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and watching soccer.

​​Delcho Tenev began his music education in the “Dobrin Petkov” school under Prof. Darina Dankova in his hometown of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. At age 14 he moved to the U.S. and attended high school at the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, studying with Prof. Todor Pelev. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and then earned a Master’s degree and Professional Performance Certificate from Lynn University. Delcho joined the violin section of the Colorado ​Symphony in September of 2015 and is happy to be playing great music with such a wonderful orchestra, as well as exploring the beautiful city of Denver.