Stefče Stojkovski
Stefče Stojkovski was born in Skopje in 1972. He was brought up in the
musical tradition of his country by his father and grandfather, both musicians who played with
traditional ensembles. They passed on their musical passions to him at an early age and encouraged
him to cultivate his taste for wind instruments. By the age of seven, Stefče had already made a
name for himself as a soloist on the kaval (a wooden, rim-blown flute with eight finger holes and
one of the oldest flutes in the Balkans). Two years later he made his first recording.
In addition to the kaval, Stefče also plays gajda, šupelka, zurla, tambura, tarabuka, tapan, and others instruments, and he sings and dances as well. Stefče studied under Pece Atanasovski. When Pece retired, Stefče took his place in the Macedonian national radio and television network's ensemble. He's recorded over 2,000 “signatures” and also worked in theater and on film scores. He leads his own folk music ensemble in Skopje (formed in 1997), which has traveled all over the world. He lives in Skopje, where he continues to record as well as teach. Izvor Music sponsored his first visit to the United States in November 2008, and is offering a limited number of his CDs.