Emil Tabakov
Among the few Bulgarian conductors with a high-profile international career, Emil Tabakov is also noted as a composer. He has written ten symphonies as well as a variety of concertos, chamber music, and choral works.
Tabakov was born on August 21, 1947, in Ruse, Bulgaria. He attended the Bulgarian State Music Academy in the capital city of Sofia, studying conducting with Vladi Simeonov, double bass with Todor Toshev, and composition with Marin Goleminov. By 1978, Tabakov had earned diplomas in all three fields. He served as conductor of the Rousse (Ruse) Philharmonic Orchestra from 1976 to 1979, moving on to the Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra as music director from 1979 to 1987. In 1985, Tabakov began conducting the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra; he was named principal conductor in 1987. He moved to the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra in Serbia from 1994 to 1999, and for several years during this period, he also served as Bulgaria's Minister of Culture. In 1998, he returned to the Sofia Philharmonic as music director and chief conductor, remaining there until 2000. Tabakov's association with the Sofia Philharmonic resulted in several recordings, including a complete cycle of Mahler's symphonies for the Capriccio label, issued on 15 CDs. He is also recognized for his interpretations of Shostakovich, whose symphonies he has recorded several times.
Tabakov continued to hold permanent conductor positions; in 2002, he was music director of the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in Ankara, Turkey, and from 2008 to 2015, he served as principal conductor of the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra. He was equally visible as a guest conductor with numerous ensembles ranging far beyond Eastern Europe. Among these were the Orchestre National de France, the Moscow Philharmonic, and the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra. Tabakov has appeared all over eastern and western Europe, around East Asia, the U.S., South America, and South Africa. In the midst of this busy schedule, Tabakov has found time to compose a large catalog of works. He led the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony in several recordings of his symphonies on the Toccata Classics label. In 2022, he led the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in a recording of works by Scriabin and Rimsky-Korsakov, featuring pianist Jean-Philippe Collard.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Britten & Barber Piano Concertos; Nocturnes
Elizabeth Joy Roe, London Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Mar 2015
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Concertos pour piano n°1 & 2 (Concerto Edition - Volume 4)
Idil Biret, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Idil Biret Archive on 17 Nov 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scriabin & Rimsky-Korsakov: Piano Concertos
Jean-Philippe Collard, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Concertos - Released by La Dolce Volta on 28 Jan 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Emil Tabakov: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 7 (Live)
Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 2 Sep 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Orchestral Music - Verdi, G. / Mozart, W.A. / Puccini, G. (Symphonic Opera)
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by CapriccioNR on 1 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dimitar Nenov: Piano Concerto & Ballade No. 2
Ivo Varbanov, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 2 Jun 2017
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Dmitri Shostakovich, Vol. 9: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 12
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Gega New on 1 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Emil Tabakov: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 5
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 5 Jun 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Emil Tabakov: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 6
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 2 Apr 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Antonio Vivaldi: Bassoon Concerts
Sofia Soloist Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by Balkanton on 10 Nov 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fantaisie de concert - Concerto pour piano n°2 (Concerto Edition - Volume 5)
Idil Biret, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, José Serebrier, Emil Tabakov
Keyboard Concertos - Released by Idil Biret Archive on 24 Aug 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tabakov: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 2
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Zemtsov, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 7 Jul 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Opera Arias (Bass): Pertusi, Michele - Rossini, G. / Donizetti, G. / Verdi, G. / Gomes, C. / Gounod, C.-F. / Bellini, V.
Michele Pertusi, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Svetoslav Obretenov National Philharmonic Choir , Carlos Alvarez, Emil Tabakov
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by CapriccioNR on 1 Jan 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Emil Tabakov: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 3
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 7 Sep 2018
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Emil Tabakov: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 1
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 5 Aug 2016
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Graun: Concertos and Chamber Music
Waldemar Döling, Andrea Lieberknecht, Gernot Schmalfuss, Sofia Chamber Soloists, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Musikproduktion Dabringhaus und Grimm on 9 Apr 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Antonín Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178
Classical - Released by Balkanton on 22 Oct 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Emil Tabakov: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 4
Entcho Radoukanov, Symphony Orchestra of Bulgarian National Radio, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 5 Jul 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Britten & Barber Piano Concertos; Nocturnes
Elizabeth Joy Roe, London Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Mar 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No 4 in G-Major
Classical - Released by Balkanton on 6 Aug 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No 5 in Cis moll
Classical - Released by Balkanton on 6 Aug 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo