GRIGOR PALIKAROV, Conductor

Grigor Palikarov graduated from Music High School “Dobrin Petkov” in Plovdiv with golden medal in piano playing in 1990. He holds Masters Degrees in Orchestral Conducting and Composition from Sofia State Music Academy “Pancho Vladigerov” where he studied with Bulgaria’s leading conductors and composers such as Vassil Kazanjiev, Ivan Vulpe, Dimitar Tapkov and Krasimir Taskov. During his study at the State Musical Academy in Sofia he has performed many concerts with the professional orchestra of the Academy with various programmes which included Overtures, Concertos and Symphonies from the classical and romantic repertoire.

Maestro Palikarov made his opera debut in 1994 with Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at Pleven City Opera and Stara Zagora City Opera. Later on he conducted stage performances of C. M. von Weber’s “Abu Hassan” (1995) and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Mozart and Salieri” (1996) at the Sofia State Music Academy’s Opera Theatre with students soloists and the Academy’s orchestra.

Internationally, Maestro Palikarov has conducted the National Orchestra of the Kingdom of Belgium and at the Summer Academy “Prague - Vienna - Budapest” in Austria with the Ensemble “New Ton” - Vienna.

In 1995 he was appointed full-time conductor of the Symphony Orchestra at the Bulgarian Army and in July 1997 he was promoted as the Chief conductor of the ensemble. Maestro Palikarov served as Music Director of the Youth Philharmonic orchestra “Pioneer” –inSofia (1998 - 2003).

In 1998-1999 season he made his debut on the stage of the National Opera - Sofia, conducting one of the Gala-concert with the special participation of the famous Bulgarian opera super star Ghena Dimitrova upon her personal invitation. 

Since January 2001 Maestro Palikarov works as full-time conductor at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre – Sofia, conducting a rich variety of opera and ballet repertoire and also he teaches musical analysis at State Academy of Music and Dance Arts - Plovdiv as an Assistant-Professor. Moreover since the beginning of 2005/06 season Mr. Palikarov has taken the position of general artistic manager and conductor of Pazarjik Symphony Orchestra. He was recently appointed as the conductor of Classic FM Radio Orchestra.

Nowadays Maestro Palikarov is often invited as a guest – conductor of many orchestras, opera theatres and national and international music festivals in Bulgaria and abroad, including countries like Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg, Macedonia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Japan etc. He also makes regular recordings of orchestral pieces, opera arias and ensembles as a guest conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio.

Together with his conducting activities Maestro Palikarov composes music and plays as a piano soloist with different orchestras in Bulgaria. He is a prizewinner of many national and international piano and composition competitions. Some of his works were performed at music festivals and recorded at the National Radio in Sofia.

European Music Festival 2007, Sofia, BULGARIA

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Brahms Piano concerto Nr. 2 op. 83 in B flat major (Part 2)

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Brahms Piano concerto Nr. 2 op. 83 in B flat major (Part 3)

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Piano Theme composed by Pyung Kwon Ji (South Korea)

Symphonic Orchestration by Georgi Cherkin (Bulgaria)

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NEWS!

Selected performances from the concert schedule of Maestro Grigor Palikarov in 2008-09 Season

MAJOR EVENTS IN THE FALL OF 2008

September 19, 2008 - Hall No 1 National Palace of Culture - Sofia. Concert, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Independence Day, under the patronage of the President of Republic of Bulgaria. Symphony orchestra of the National Radio with the world famous soloists like Rajna Kabaivanska - soprano and Mincho Minchev - violin.

October 17, 2008 - Concert Hall - City of Haskovo. Opening concert of the International Violin Festival "Nedyalka Simeonova" with Classic FM Orchestra - Sofia, soloist Svetlin Rusev - violin.

October 22, 2008 - Concert Hall - City of Plovdiv. Concert with Classic FM Orchestra - Sofia, soloist Lyudmil Angelov - piano.

October 31, 2008 - "Bulgaria" Hall - Sofia. "Golden cycle" of the Symphony Orchestra of the National Radio, soloist Vanya Milanova - violin.

November 10 to 20, 2008 - Germany, different cities. Concert tour with Puccini's "Tosca", European soloists and Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra, Bulgaria

MAJOR EVENTS IN THE SPRING OF 2009

February 05, 2009 - Concert Hall, City of Pazardzhik. Opening concert of the festival "Winter Music Evenings" with Symphony Orchestra, Pazardzhik, soloist - Maria Prinz, piano (Austria).

March, April, May 2009 - Performances at the National Opera and Ballet - Sofia, G. Verdi's "Nabucco" and "Rigoletto", S. Prokofiev - "Romeo and Juliet", L. Minkus - "Don Quixote".

April 2009 - Concert Hall of the Bulgarian National Radio, Symphony Orchestra, Pazardzhik. Concert during the festival "New Bulgarian Music" 2009.

May 07, 2009 - Concert Hall, City of Pazardzhik - Concert under the patronage of the Austrian Ambassador during the festival "Austrian Music Weeks"

More concerts will be posted soon!