Vassil Kazandjiev made his way into the Bulgarian music scene as a true child prodigy. In 1952, Kazandjiev was already in Sofia, his name first in the list of the students admitted to the composition and conducting program at the State Academy of Music. His teachers were Pancho Wladigerov and V. Simeonov, yet it was Konstantin Iliev who remained his true spiritual mentor. After his graduation from the State Academy in Music in 1957, Kazandjiev was active as conductor at the Sofia Opera, founder and director of the Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble (1962-1978), director of the Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio, professor in conducting at the State Academy of Music.

His artistic development was spontaneous and vigorous. His diploma work, Divertimento for Orchestra (1957) was followed by a decade of intensive explorations which went through the September, 23 overture (1963), to the first climax of his radicalism - the first string quartet Perspectives (1966), and the second symphony - Symphony of the Timbres (1968). Today, the composer is deservedly among the key figures of the Bulgarian musical avant-garde with his mature works "Affreschi Sacri", "Mirages", Reflections two cellos, Sonata for violin and cello.