Prof. Hikmet Mehmedov was born in Kardjali in 1950. He graduated at the Sofia State Choreography School. He started his career as a dancer at the Ballet Company of the National Opera and Ballet and at the Arabesque Ballet Company, Sofia. Later he graduated in Ballet Directing at the St Petersburg Conservatory. His tutors were the worldwide famous ballet masters prof. Nikolai Boyarchikov and prof. Peter Gusev.
From 1983 till 1995 Hikmet Mehmedov was the artistic director and choreographer of the ballet company of the Russe Opera. In 1992 he was briefly the artistic and managing director of the Ruse State Opera.
In 1990 Hikmet Mehmedov founded a ballet class at the Ruse State Music School. Then he organized the first National Artistic Meeting of the Bulgarian Ballet Masters named after the great Bulgarian choreographer Assen Manolov.
From 1995 till 1998 he was the artistic director of the ballet company of the Sofia National Opera and Ballet.
Since 1998 Hikmet Mehmedov is the artistic director of the ballet company of the Burgas Opera and Philharmonic Society.
Since 1999 Hikmet Mehmedov is teaching Ballet Composition and Directing at the Academy of Music Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv.
In 2001 he was awarded the title Associate Professor and since 2008 he is a professor in composition and directing in classical ballet and contemporary dance.
For many years now he has been a member of the jury of the International Ballet Competitions in Varna (Bulgaria) and Modica (Italy). At the same time he has been a member of the jury of the “Anastas Petrov” National Ballet Competition in Dobrich, Bulgaria and the Romanian National Ballet Competition in Konstanza.
Prof. Hikmet Mehmedov has created more than 80 dance pieces in different performing arts productions – ballet, opera, operetta, musical and drama. He is the author of more than 40 choreography miniatures based on music by classical and contemporary composers.
The works of Hikmet Mehmedov attract the acclaim of audiences as well as the appreciation of critics in many countries – Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands Spain, Portugal, Romania, etc. Some of his most famous works include:
- “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky
- “Bolero” by Ravel
- “Edith Piaf”
- “Metamorphoses” by Johan Sebastian Bach
- “Angels Through Hell” rock ballet
- “Crusaders” by Alexander Josifov
- “A Night in Paris” music by Rachmaninov, Gustav Mahler and chansons françaises.
- “Romeo and Juliette” by Prokofiev
- “Le Sacre Du Printemps” by Stravinsky
- “Coppelia” by Léo Delibes
- “The Waltz” by Maurice Ravel
Hikmet Mehmedov’s works have been awarded at many national and international ballet competitions.
He was awarded by the Union of the Bulgarian Music and Dance Professionals with the “Crystal Lyre” and the “Golden Lyre” awards.
In 1999 The Russian Cultural and Information Centre awarded him with the “Golden Muse” Award for Artistic Achievement.
Prof. Mehmedov is a Citizen of Honor of Kardjali and Burgas.
In 2006 Hikmet Mehmedov was awarded by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria with the “St St Cyril and Methodius” Order of Merit – first class for his significant contribution to Bulgarian culture, arts and education.
