22 June

THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF THE BULGARIAN NATIONAL RADIO is one of the leading orchestras not only in Bulgaria, but also on the Balkans. The recordings constitute an essential element of the Orchestra’s activity. The Radio Music Library has a vast collection of recordings of the Symphony Orchestra with the best Bulgarian soloists and world-famous conductors and soloists. Special credit for the professional and artistic growth of the Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio is given to the conductors Vasil Stefanov, Alexander Vladigerov, Vasil Kazandjiev, Milen Nachev and since 2003 Rosen Milanov. The Orchestra has had successful concert tours in South Korea, France, Spain, Germany, Italy. Of special interest are its participations in Europalia in Brussels (2002), Music festival, supported the Olympic games in Athens (2004), European tour with Vesselina Kasarova as a soloist in Germany, Spain and Netherlands (2008), including concerts in Herculessaal in Munich and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In the year of 2001 the Orchestra received the prestigious award Crystal Lyre for high achievements in musical and dance art.

ROSSEN MILANOV is Associate Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra. Additionally he is Music Director of both the Haddonfield Symphony in New Jersey, USA and the New Symphony Orchestra in Bulgaria. The Chicago Tribune describes him as one who bears watching by anyone who cares about the future of music. He has conducted concerts and tours with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore and Colorado Symphonies, the orchestras of Juilliard Opera Center and Curtis Opera Theater. He has participated in New Year Festival of Prague, Grand Park Music Festival in Chicago, Rencontres Musicales d’Evian in France, etc. Mr. Milanov studied at the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, Duquesne University, and the Bulgarian National Academy of Music. His teachers were Otto-Werner Mueller, Robin Fountain, and Vasil Kazandjiev. He founded the Sofia-Mt Vitosha International Conducting Academy, a summer festival dedicated to the training of young aspiring conductors. He was honoured by Bulgarian Ministry of Culture with the Award for Extraordinary Contribution to Bulgarian Culture.

Internationally celebrated Israeli pianist ALON GOLDSTEIN has performed with the Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas, Saint Louis, Houston, Baltimore and Vancouver Symphonies as well as the Los-Angeles and Israel Philharmonics, under the batons of Zubin Mehta, Leon Fleisher, Peter Oundjian, Klaus Peter Flor, Raphael Fruhbeck de Burgos and Yoel Levi. He appeared in recitals in New York, Washington, Chicago, London, Moscow (Kremlin), Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Geneva. He played also at the Santa Fe, Marlboro, Ravinia, Verbier and Ruhr Festivals and was featured on BBC Radio 3’s Young Artists Forum. He studied with Victor Derevianko in Israel, and with Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory in the USA. Later he held the Performance Fellow position at London’s Guildhall School of Music. For two years Mr. Goldstein was artist-in-residence at the Theo Lieven International Piano Foundation in Como Italy. Mr. Goldstein has several CDs featuring works by Israeli composers, by Beethoven, Schubert, Debussy, Janacek, etc.