Born in Bulgaria to a musical mother and businessman father, Valentin could sing a scale before
he could talk.
His mother recognized his ability and put him to conservatory piano lessons at the age of 5 when he was already
able to identify chords with 5 or 6 tones.
At age of 22 months he sang by himself the entire ascending and descending diatonic scale on the vowel "a" with absolute accuracy.
If someone had told me then, that any child was capable of performing a perfect scale at this early age, I would never have believed it, because as everyone knows a child at that age has a very limited vocal range and undeveloped ear. Moreover they have no conception of high and low tones.
This explains why when Valentin started singing the scale from a higher tone he couldn't complete it - because his range was limited. I showed him how to start by singing in my lowest range. In trying to imitate me he sang his..
At the age of 2 and a half we were singing duets in a harmony. His interest in music grew rapidly.
At the age of 3 he could play on the piano with one finger any song that he had learned. If the song had a sharp or a flat note and didn't sound right to him he would say: "Mama, the piano can not sing...!"
He was even able to accompany with his left hand but only with the tonic note..."
- from Valentin mother's diary
Valentin - 1 year old
Valentin - 2 years old
Valentin - 6 years old
At the age of 6, he was accepted into the Sofia School of Music. But daily hours of intensive study at this young age
finally gave him a fierce, chronic headache, and his father insisted that he desist.
As a first grader in academic school, he performed a duet in 5/8 time, improvising the harmonizing line.
Learning scientific subjects through his school years, he again studied for conservatory entrance during his last years of
high school, planning on a career in composing, but again the violent headaches from overwork forced him to quit.
After doing his two years of compulsory military service, he found his true calling as a voice major in the conservatory.
"Singing came accidentally. I studied piano and other things I needed for composition, so this was a nice surprise to me.."
And after completing five years there and two years in the opera master class, he spent four years in the professional
theater, not only in Bulgarian houses but also guest appearances and recitals in Poland, Germany and Austria.
But Bulgaria is a small country with insufficient challenge for Peytchinov, and he waited following Menotti's audition
with great anticipation for promised developments.
Enrolled in a masters program
in the conservatory in Sofia
Student in Bulgarian
conservatory
Valentin's band
in High School
The noted Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti was as good as his word and worked to find a place
for Peytchinov at Juilliard Opera Center and a sponsor to help him; but letters sent to Peytchinov were withheld.
His musical education came free, compliments to the Communist Government of Bulgaria, but when he received an invitation in 1987 to study
in the US, he was denied permission to leave Bulgaria.
Finally a phone call in the middle of the night got through to him, and he was allowed to leave for study. A friendly diplomatic
official arranged his escape, just before his wife gave birth to their first child, and began a forced three-year family
separation while he attended Juilliard.