The Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Chief Conductor Konstantin Ilievski, opens its new season with a festive concert at Sofia’s renowned Bulgaria Hall on 1 October – a date designated over half a century ago by UNESCO as International Music Day.

The evening will begin with Celebration, a lively piece by the celebrated Bulgarian composer and pianist Krasimir Taskov. French composer Guillaume Connesson’s Marimba Concerto will receive its Bulgarian premiere, featuring the dazzling virtuosity of percussionist Vassilena Serafimova. A graduate of two of the world’s most prestigious music institutions, the Paris Conservatoire and the Juilliard School in New York, she has enjoyed a successful European career for many years. She is a professor in Lausanne, a festival director in Bulgaria and France, and an inspiration to numerous contemporary composers who have created works specifically for her.

In the second half of the programme, the Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform one of Gustav Mahler's most beloved works: Symphony No. 1, 'Titan'. The title is not a reference to sheer monumental power, but rather to Jean Paul's novel of the same name – not in terms of narrative, but through a deeper spiritual kinship. Like the writer, Mahler expressed a pantheistic reverence for the grandeur of nature, and a longing for humankind to merge with its divine harmony.

Looking ahead to the 2025/2026 season, the Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra – an ensemble of long-standing tradition and an established presence in Bulgaria’s cultural life – has prepared a rich programme, weaving together timeless classics with compelling contemporary creations. Distinguished Bulgarian and international conductors and soloists, fresh venues, premieres, and programmes designed for audiences of all ages will transform each concert into a true celebration of music. Alongside performances at the Bulgarian National Radio’s Studio One and the Bulgaria Hall, concerts will also take place at the beautiful Central Military Club and the Sofia Opera.

Once again this season, every programme will feature a work by a Bulgarian composer. The Symphony Orchestra’s partnerships with prestigious international competitions provide a platform for emerging talent – among them pianist Ivaylo Vassilev and violinist Yuki Hirano, both laureates of such contests.

The season will also welcome world-renowned violist and conductor Maxim Rysanov; sopranos Svetlina Stoyanova and Ina Kancheva, both enjoying enviable European careers; the incomparable duo of the radiant Krassimira Stoyanova with conductor Pavel Balev; the distinguished conductor Gergely Madaras; and celebrated flautist Noemi Gyori.

Making her debut with the Radio Symphony Orchestra will be the exceptional violinist Joanna Kamenarska. Further appearances will be made by two accomplished instrumentalists with flourishing international careers: the violist Rumen Tsvetkov and the cellist Alexander Somov. The inimitable virtuoso Svetlin Roussev will mark his 50th birthday with an extraordinary tribute to Niccolò Paganini: in two consecutive evenings (15 and 16 May), he will perform all of the composer’s violin concertos – a feat paying homage to one of music’s most enigmatic geniuses

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

Posted in English by E. Radkova

Photos: BTA, Ani Petrova, BNR, personal archive of Yoanna Kamenarska