Highlight Reel
2011 Nominee – Rock Drummer of the Year – 21st Annual LA Music Awards
Ivan Ganchev is a pop rock singer, songwriter, and percussionist who is best know for his 2004 American Idol achievement as a top 44 contestant out of 100,000 people who were auditioned that year. Ivan auditioned at the Cow Palace in San Francisco early October 2004 where he spent almost 8hours in a line of about 6-8 thousand people on registration day. Then he ended up waiting another 3-5hours in an auditorium of thousands of people to sing a verse and a chorus of 2 songs in front of executive producers. One of his choices was We are the Champions ,by Queen and the 2nd What’s up by 4 Non Blondes. Ivan was sent to a 2nd round of auditions in San Francisco where he sang in front of Nigel Lithgo a executive producer where Ivan was asked if he is in a Queen cover band as the judges were really impressed with his ability to sing like Freddy Mercury “Lead vocalist of “Queen”. Ivan got a 3rd yellow ticket and was asked to come again for a 3rd audition to sing in front of the celebrity judges, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell. Well Ivan decided to stick with his best and sang We are the Champions, and Somebody to Love by “Queen” again, and the judges were given no option but to send Ivan to Hollywood where he could compete with the top 200 out of 100,000 people who were auditioned so far for that Season which was Season 4.
Ivan passed through every round at the Orpheum Theatre in Hollywood, where auditions were held at for that week Nov1st-Nov 9th 2004. Ivan then was told that he is in the top 44 out of 100,000 people. He then went back and was told by the judges that he didn’t make top 24, but still has what it takes to make it in the music industry regardless. Ivan ended up on a 3 month Cingular wireless commercial, and got his 5 minutes of fame on national television when American Idol aired his full going to Hollywood audition. Ivan since then has recorded a full length 12 song solo album with love and pop songs dedicated to world peace and global freedom. He is now playing with a rock group called “fREEX” where he gets a chance to sing and play drums. He joined a few years back, and is has performed with Alien Ant Farm, and is now playing with the well known “Dramarama” at the KEY Club -The biggest venue on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles. His band was being played on a few commercial radio stations and 30+ College radio stations in the nation. Ivan was born and raised in Plovdiv, Bulgaria ,“ Eastern Europe”, where he spent his childhood in the 1980’s under a communist regime and was taught by his parents and relatives to deal with high stressful situations on all levels of life. Coming from a family of two Doctor’s a microbiologist and musically inclined Grandmother and a multi musically talented father, Ivan was in the middle of a family of high achievers who played an important role in his musical future.
At age 7 Ivan was put in the famous Bulgarian choir of boys by musical experts who imposed a musical test where they discovered that Ivan was musically inclined. Being in the Internationally famous Bulgarian Choir of Boys for 4+ years Ivan realized that he surely was falling in love with being a singer and experienced “Music”, in such a powerful way that it became the #1 love of his life. In 1988 Ivan and his mother both imigrated to America as political refugees. Ivan took the opportunity to be in a choir again at age 12. Shortly after that he became a self taught drummer and joined a few local rock bands. Ivan spent 7+ years getting exposed to playing in front of live audiences at local clubs, and traditional venues at that time. On Sunday October 25th 2009 Ivan performed at the 50th anniversary of the famously known Woodstock, with a Latin group called “Puro Bandido”, in front of a crowd of 5,000 people. The band was given some TV exposure as well on Channel 7 news. Shortly after that Ivan had his run on American Idol, Season 4 where he had a national TV exposure as a top 44 contestant and was also shown on a 3 month singular wireless commercial. Ivan’s main goal is to bring people together with love and understanding, and too share his musical passions with everyone!!!