Vlatko Stefanovski comes from a Macedonian theatre family and has been exploring the expressive possibilities of the guitar throughout his career. Over the past three decades, his music has been a reflection of his diverse musical taste and his unparalleled guitar technique. His work has been praised by great guitarists such as John McLaughlin, Mark Knopfler, Allan Holdsworth and Joe Satriani and his precise, fluid playing style was one of the hallmarks of his band Leb i Sol, with which he thrilled audiences throughout the former Yugoslavia. Vlatko Stefanovski is a master of both the acoustic and the electric guitar and is one of the most exciting guitarists in Europe. After the group Leb i Sol disbanded, he embarked on a successful solo career. Together with Miroslav Tadić, a professor at CalArts University in Los Angeles, in 1997 he recorded an album of traditional songs entitled Krushevo, which is considered one of the highlights of his musical career. He recently released a solo album entitled Thunder From The Blue Sky, which reflects his roots and role models as a guitarist. The album features the legendary Dutch guitarist Jan Akkerman. Vlatko Stefanovski has also enjoyed success as a film composer, and in 2001 released a compilation of his film music entitled Kino Kultura. In 2007, the Saints Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje awarded Vlatko Stefanovski an honorary doctorate for his achievements in music.
