Bulgarian-born Svet tells of his success, journey to America

Classic violin, hip-hop and pop beats, singing, rapping, beat boxing, and even the Super Mario theme song all blended together, as hip-hop violinist Svet defied musical genres in his performance in Comanche on Feb. 11.

“I want people to see me as more than just a rapper, more than just a violinist, more than just a singer,” Svet said. “I want them to see me as an artist.”

The 26-year-old Bulgarian-American violinist, singer, composer and producer has performed with Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, and Gym Class Heroes among others. He has been on ABC’s America’s Got Talent, BET’s 106 & Park, has performed the national anthem for the Brooklyn Nets and has appeared on MTV with Deena from Jersey Shore.

In May 2011, he was named “Talent of the Week” on the WorldStarHipHop website, and his video there has almost 130,000 views.

To the audience of about 60, Svet said music is what he loves doing, regardless of the details.

“I feel blessed to be able to do it,” he said. “Whether it’s in front of you guys here, or in front of 19,000 people at the Nets stadium.”

The 19,000 people included Jay-Z, Svet said.

Svet started playing both the violin and the piano at the age of three, but decided to focus solely on violin at age 10. He said he was practicing the violin for four hours a day.

At the age of 11, the Bulgarian left his hometown, Sofia, and moved with his mom and his younger brother to Rochester, New York, to pursue musical education. Svet is one of almost 1 million Bulgarians (the population of Bulgaria is about 7 million) to have ties in the US, and at 21 he got an American citizenship in addition to his Bulgarian citizenship. Despite this, he remains connected to his roots.

“I always think of myself as Bulgarian,” he said. “And I will never lose that.”

In Rochester, Svet got a full scholarship at Eastman School of Music, which is considered the best school for music education and instrumental performance by U.S. News and World Report. He then finished his Bachelors at University of Rochester with a major in economics and a minor in marketing.

At MSU, Svet opened his set with a swift violin composition over a computer-played backing beat. His next song was violin-based as well, with a Ne-Yo beat running on the laptop.

About his electronic influences, Svet said he had been using the FruityLoops Studio software when he was 16. It is a digital audio workstation, used by DJs such as Afrojack.

The third song in Svet’s set was a cover of Don’t Stop Believing by Journey.

Svet is working on his first album. Two of the songs he played at MSU will be included there.

“Fall in Love” was the fourth song in his set and exemplified his eclectic musical style. After the electronic beat intro with Svet singing the chorus, he then showcased his beat boxing skills. The second verse was a violin performance, while the musician was rapping in the third.

The other song from Svet’s upcoming album was Fiddler on a Roof. It was influenced by house music, but also included beat boxing.

A remix of a Justin Bieber song and an uncanny take on the Super Mario theme song were also among the songs included in the set. The closing was a furious “hip-house violin” over Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye.

“I like to bring everything into my music,” Svet said. “If I am performing different songs, or even Super Mario, it’s because they have influenced my life.  I want to give every single one of my aspects to the audience. Through the violin, through my lyrics, through my beat boxing.”

Svet played at MSU as part of his college tour. His next stop is Texas Woman’s University in Denton. For next year, the violinist is also planning a European tour.

“My dream is to tour the world and play on big stages,” he said.

In March, Svet is going to the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. He said he met DJ Tiesto and Paris Hilton at the festival last year.

“We were hanging backstage with Paris Hilton. It was crazy,” he said.

In his free time, Svet enjoys flying RC planes and watching movies, such as Inception and Shutter Island.

To the MSU students, Svet told the story of his first appearance on America’s Got Talent. He was still a senior and had a final exam the day when he was scheduled to perform. When he found out that he won’t be able to make up his final, he “chose school over fame.”

“People should understand what’s important in their lives at the moment,” Svet said. “I didn’t want to fail something after I had started it. I never like to just quit.”