SOFIA  PHILHARMONIC 

The Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra has established as an institution and structure after several transformations. The first orchestra was created by initiative of Sasha Popov who was then professor of violin at the Music Academy. At the end of 1928, with the cooperation of the Academy's rector Dimitar Hadzhigeorgiev an Academic symphony orchestra was founded.

The orchestra, composed of 65 musicians, was approved by the Ministry of Education. The participants were 32 students, 28 soloists and pedagogues, and 5 outsiders. Concert master was Mihail Balkanski. The first rehearsal was held on December 18 of the same year, conducted by S.Popov, and the first concerts were given in Plovdiv and Stara Zagora in May 1929. In August the orchestra took part in the Varna Summer Music Celebrations (what is now knows as Varna Summer).
During the years the orchestra hosted musicians who later became important figures in the music life of Bulgaria: Vasil Stefanov, Vasil Chernaev, Petar Hristoskov, Stefan Sugarev, Stefan Magnev, Kirik Vapordzhiev, Yanko Tankov, Atanas Margaritov, Phillip Kutev, Vladimir Avranov, Dimitar Obreshkov, Ivan Kukudov, Ivan Peev, Marin Goleminov, Stefan Sertev, Trendafil Milanov, Todor Sumnaliev etc.

By 1935 the orchestra had over 100 performances with soloists Dimitar Nenov, Panka Pelishek, Tamara Yankova, Mihail Lefterov, Nedylka Simeonova, Vasil Chernaev, Petar Hristoskov, Ivan Tsibulka, Konstantin Popov, Lyuben Mazarov among others. Outstanding guest performers were the pianists Paul Wittgenstein, Marcel Chiampe, the violinist Henry Marto.

In 1936 the Ministry of Defense initiated a recruitment competition for an Orchestra of the Guards with the cooperation of Sasha Popov, and part of the Academic Symphony Orchestra was transferred to it. The opportunity was opened for musicians to do their military service in the orchestra. Every member received a military uniform and a rank. Sasha Popov directed it, and Mihail Lefterov was second conductor. Later on the orchestra was named Royal military symphony orchestra under the auspices of the defense minister.

The first performances abroad came in 1939 with the concerts at the Palace of the Dodges in Venice, Basilica di Macencio in Rome and the Boboli garden in Florence.

In 1942 the orchestra had a tour in Romania, to which Pancho Vladigerov dedicated his Horo Stacatto after Diniku. Months later there were tours in Hungary, Croatia, Macedonia and Thracia. The names of the guest conductors and soloists are an honor to the orchestra: conductor Bruno Walter, pianist Dinu Lipatti, Carlo Ceki among many others.

The orchestra retained this status until 1944. During the bombing the orchestra was evacuated, and after that it continued its rehearsal activities with conductor Atanas Margaritov in the studio of Radio Sofia.

As of January 1945 the orchestra changed its patron organization again. It was transformed into a State Symphony Orchestra with the Radio Broadcasting Directorate at the Ministry of Information and Arts, and since August 1 of the same year Sasha Popov resumed its conducting.

In 1947 the orchestra was featured as the Bulgarian People's Philharmonic Orchestra in its own institutional right and ever since 1949 it exists as Sofia State Philharmonic Orchestra.

The brightest artists of Bulgaria are related to the history of the Philharmonic Orchestra: until 1956 Sasha Popov remained chief conductor, between 1946 and 1954 Vasil Stefanov was second conductor. During the same period Veselin Pavlov, Vlady Simeonov and Dobrin Petkov also conducted it.

After 1956 Konstantin Iliev was appointed chief conductor and artistic director of the Philharmonic Orchestra. His presence was of historic importance to the institution in terms of repertoire selection and quality of performance in the periods 1956-1972 and 1978-1984.

Between 1972 and 1978 young Dimitar Manolov takes over the orchestra.

In 1981 he was replaced by Yordan Dafov, and in 1985 by Emil Tabakov, who became chief conductor in 1987 and artistic director between 1988 and 2000. Since 1981 the Philharmonic Orchestra was enriched with the cappella choir, and now it exists as National Philharmonic Choir Svetoslav Obretenov.

From its initial 110 staff the philharmonic ensemble grew to 300: 120 musicians, 100 singers and soloists Anton Dikov, Bozhidar Noev, Ivan Drenikov, Marta Deanova, Stoyka Milanova, Mincho Minchev, Ventseslav Nikolov, Stefan Popov, the Dimov Quartet.

The staff formed various performing chamber formations.

The post of director of the Sofia Philharmonic orchestra has been occupied by Stoyan Stoyanov-Ivanov, Boris Stoyanov, Lyubomir Sagaev, Lea Cohen, Maria Nikolova, Vasil Kostov. Since 2002 the director is Yavor Dimitrov.

Conductors of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra:
Naiden Todorov
Dian Tchobanov