Emil Tabakov is a graduate of the Bulgarian State College of Music where he earned degrees in conducting, composition, and contrabass. In 1977, Mr. Tabakov was awarded the laureate title at the Nikolai Malko International Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen and is currently chief conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic, the oldest and most prestigious orchestra in Bulgaria. Maestro Tabakov made his professional conducting debut at age seventeen with the Rousse Symphony Orchestra and was subsequently appointed music director of that orchestra, a post he held from 1975 until 1979. In 1977, Maestro Tabakov founded the Chamber Orchestra of the Bulgarian State College of Music and continued to appear regularly with that ensemble. From 1979 to 1988, he was the artistic director and conductor of the Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble, presenting concerts throughout Bulgaria and on tour in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia and the United States. With the Sofia Philharmonic, Tabakov has appeared in Great Britain, Germany, Yugoslavia and, in 1990, toured in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, South America. He has numerous guest conducting appearances to his credit including concerts in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Brazil, Romania, Greece and France.
Equally talented as a composer, Maestro Tabakov's works have been published and performed in Bulgaria and abroad. His orchestral arrangements of Respighi songs are featured on another ÉLAN CD (82280) with the gifted soprano Burjana Antonova and the Sofia Chamber Soloists.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM:

"...Tabakov reveals a finely tuned sense of Scriabin's colors. In sum, this stands with Järvi at the top of the list..."

Peter J. Rabinowitz Fanfare