HISTORY
THE IDEA
The music critic Ms. Julia Hristova founded the New Symphony Orchestra in 1991 as an alternative to the existing musical institutions financially supported and controlled by the state. During the years since it was founded the New Symphony Orchestra has produced a cultural model of its own and has created a Society of Friends, dedicated to the welfare of this cultural institution, which is unique in Bulgaria. Julia Hristova’s Concert House, opened in 1990, served as a basis on which the Orchestra was founded. This House had its own unique system of organizing and financing the orchestra and working with its young musicians. According to the words of its founder, Julia Hristova, “We worked not to survive but to create.”
THE MUSICIANS
From the very beginning the idea of the New Symphony Orchestra was to be both a school and an institution taking care of young, talented musicians who had no experience on the stages of concert halls, but who had the strong desire to work and perfect them-selves. Over eight hundred musicians of an average age between 18 and 27 have played for the Orchestra. Musician from the School of the New Symphony Orchestra are now members of the biggest Bulgarian orchestral institutions and opera houses, and of orchestras in the USA, Latin America, South Africa, Western and Central Europe. The leading principles in the work with the young musicians, most of whom are still students, is respect for one’s personal opinions, equal opportunities and flexibility in the system of work. According to Julia Hristova “The most important goal in our work is not the concert, but one’s love in the process of ‘making’ music”.
РЕПЕРТОАР
Още от създаването на оркестъра, в музикалната му програма се съчетават известни класически произведения с малко познати и неизпълнявани у нас творби. Разнообразният репертоар и адаптивната организация – от камерен състав до голям ансамбъл, позволи на Нов симфоничен оркестър да извоюва почетното си мястото в културния живот на България. На своите над 600 концерта до сега оркестърът е изпълнил творби на повече от 200 композитори и е представил над 60 премиерни за България творби пред около 2 000 000 души.
THE ORGANIZATION
Not only the new method of work with the musicians and the high quality of the programs, but also its organizational structure, system of management and financing make the New Symphony Orchestra unique in this country. More than 50 young professionals have passed an Art Management practice in the Orchestra’s administration. In the ten years since its foundation the New Symphony Orchestra has managed to establish an independent method of financing and management of a prestigious musical institution through voluntary annual contributions to the so call “Annual Fund”. Members of the Fund are individuals and corporations which, depending on the size of their contributions, enjoy various privileges.
The most important and valuable among them is the possibility of joining the Society of the New Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra is governed by a Board of Directors. Members of it are individuals of prestige and special position in society.
THE PATH COVERED
The reaction of the experts to the Orchestra when it was founded in 1991 was at first contradictory, but it soon changed and the critics started speaking about “The New Symphony Orchestra phenomenon” (the “Standart” newspaper).
During its twenteth seasons, this orchestra of young musicians has had 238 guest artists coming from all parts of the world. Among them were conductors Kenneth Kiseler, Jose de Eusebio, Georgi Dimitrov, Dimitar Manolov, Fabrizio Ventura, Dragomir Yossifov, Ivan Kozhuharov, Vassil Kazandjiev, Metodi Matakiev and the soloists Margarita Lilova, Alexandrina Pendachanska, Sigmund Nimsgern, Vadim Brodski, Mincho Minchev, Varti Manuelyan, Movses Pogosyan, Georgi Tilev, Pavel Berman, Ivan Drenikov, Gina Tabakova, Luydmil angelov, Dimo Dimov, Boyan Vodenicharov, Stanimir Todorov, Krasimira Stoyanova, Liviu Prunaru, Lora Chekoratova, Mariana Karpatova, Elmira Darvarova, Steven Coups, Lauren Hollander, Anna Stoycheva, Mila Gueorgieva, Jennifer Michalef, Glen Inanga, John Koen, Borislav Yotzov, Gretchen van Hosen, Edelina Kaneva, Plamen Beykov, Miguel Angel Rodrigues Lais, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Liudmil Angelov, Vesko Eshkenazi, Gwyneth Wenting, Ryu Goto, Leon McCawley, Nicholas Daniel, Michael Ludwig, Christina Ortiz, Yossiff Ivanov.
In this way the New Symphony Orchestra turned into a center of high professionalism, which has proved that “you don’t have to emigrate in order to be in the wide world.”
The first musical director of the Orchestra was Aleksey Izmirliev, under his leadership the Orchestra undertook its first tour abroad in 1992. After him the position of musical director was taken over by the Italian Eraldo Salmieri.From 1996 the orhcestra has the chance to be lead from on of the most talented conductors of our days – Maestro Rossen Milanov.
At the beginning the Orchestra’s first violinist was Vesselin Demirev (now professor at the University in Dallas). After him first violinist of the New Symphony Orchestra were the Rumanian Anka Shain, Daniel Dimov, Martin Mantaleev, Emil Chakalov, Eli Karamfilova, Evelina Encheva, Ivan Vuglarov, Rumyana Yankova. From 2003 the concertmaster is Dora Kehayova.
From the very beginning the Orchestra’s musical program has represented a combination between popular classical works with works which are unknown or rarely played in Bulgaria. The varied repertoire and the flexible organization – from an ensemble for chamber music to a full orchestra, has made it possible for the New Symphony Orchestra to gain a position of respect in the cultural life of the country. It has given over 305 concerts in whose programs were included the works of over 180 composers, 40 of them being played for the first time in Bulgaria. The Orchestra has realized many live and studio records. Most of its concerts have been recorded and broadcast by the Bulgarian National TV.
THE PRESS
• “The New Symphony Orchestra is new indeed” – the “Sofia Independent” newspaper.
• “Milanov will keep his position with the New Symphony Orchestra in Sofia” – the “Philadelphia Inquirer”
• “The conductor of this remarkable operatic project is Rossen Milanov and it will be recorded together with the Symphony Orchestra in Sofia” – the “New York Times”
• “The New Symphony Orchestra – this is harmony and perfection” – “Sofia Western News”
• “The perception of business is like the perception of classical music”- the “Kapital” newspaper
• “The New Symphony Orchestra Phenomenon is a multistage strategy” – the “Standart” newspaper
• “The New Symphony Orchestra has produced a good artistic, administrative and financial mechanism” – the “Demokratsia” newspaper
• “American virtuoso masters will play in Bulgaria” – the “Novinar” newspaper”
• “Elmira Durvarova flew all the way from the Metropolitan, New York to open the season of the New Symphony Orchestra” – the “Troud” newspaper
• “March the 2nd will be a memorable date in the history of Bulgarian music because on that day the New Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rossen Milanov performed for the first time Lazar Nikolov’s Sixth Symphony” – the “Koultura” weekly
• “Rossen Milanov signed a contract with the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra” – the “Monitor” newspaper
• “The Orchestra uses Western standards in the organization of this cultural institution” – the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency”
THE PRESS
• “The New Symphony Orchestra is new indeed” – the “Sofia Independent” newspaper.
• “Milanov will keep his position with the New Symphony Orchestra in Sofia” – the “Philadelphia Inquirer”
• “The conductor of this remarkable operatic project is Rossen Milanov and it will be recorded together with the Symphony Orchestra in Sofia” – the “New York Times”
• “The New Symphony Orchestra – this is harmony and perfection” – “Sofia Western News”
• “The perception of business is like the perception of classical music”- the “Kapital” newspaper
• “The New Symphony Orchestra Phenomenon is a multistage strategy” – the “Standart” newspaper
• “The New Symphony Orchestra has produced a good artistic, administrative and financial mechanism” – the “Demokratsia” newspaper
• “American virtuoso masters will play in Bulgaria” – the “Novinar” newspaper”
• “Elmira Durvarova flew all the way from the Metropolitan, New York to open the season of the New Symphony Orchestra” – the “Troud” newspaper
• “March the 2nd will be a memorable date in the history of Bulgarian music because on that day the New Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rossen Milanov performed for the first time Lazar Nikolov’s Sixth Symphony” – the “Koultura” weekly
• “Rossen Milanov signed a contract with the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra” – the “Monitor” newspaper
• “The Orchestra uses Western standards in the organization of this cultural institution” – the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency”