When Rossen Gergov was four, his parents entrusted him to music teacher Milka Miteva, a famous piano pedagogue, later principal of Lubomir Pipkov National School of Music. More from Rossen Gergov:
„I was about 11 years old when I listened to a concert of the Sofia Youth Philharmonic, the orchestra of the National School of Music. I started with clarinet lessons as a second instrument. I later joined the orchestra and it was the time to find out what it is like to be a conductor. I talked to Mrs. Miteva and she asked Mihail Angelov who was leading the school orchestra to teach me and one of my classmates in conducting. I think that had it not been for the proverbial creativity and determination of Mrs. Miteva I would have missed the most important thing in my life. I was 15. After the very first brilliant lesson of Maestro Angelov, I knew that this was what I wanted to do - to become a conductor. So this is how I made my great choice and I later tried to write music. My first piece was inspired by a teenage love. I later studied composition in Vienna. Who knows it could be that once I grow old I will give more time to composition."
After graduating the National School of Music, Rossen Gergov studied with Leopold Hager at the University of Music & Fine Arts in Vienna. He was awarded a scholarship by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and acted as assistant to Seiji Ozawa. At 26 the talented Bulgarian won the first international competition for conductors Yevgeny Svetlanov. In 2008 his recording of works by David Chesky with the NorrlandsOperan´s Symphony Orchestra won a nomination for Grammу. Rossen Gergov is equally proficient as conductor of both operatic and symphony works. He has worked with a range of orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Contacts with such classy musicians are important career-wise. However, there are key formative figures in the life of any musician:
„In Bulgaria I owe a lot to Milka Miteva. Also, I have learned a lot from Borislav Yotsov, my clarinet teacher, from Mihail Angelkov and from my professor in Vienna. From Ozawa I learned that it is key to behave friendly with everybody. I have passed through various phases myself. In the beginning, I was not ready to compromise and I have quarreled with 2-3 orchestras. After that I analyzed things and I concluded I needed a different approach. Working in a nice atmosphere, working with enthusiasm and motivation - this is the key to making music and to building a capable team.”
What are the conclusions after a semi-season with the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra?
”The positive aspect is that we already have achievements together. The audiences accepted out concerts quite well. In the coming season we are looking forward to leading soloists - cellist Mischa Maisky, violinist Dora Schwartzberg and others. The programs are diverse and interesting and we plan premieres of contemporary Bulgarian music. We open the season on 13 October and we will feature works by Dobrinka Tabakova.”
English Daniela Konstantinova
The audio file contains the following fragments conducted by Rossen Gergov:
· The New World by Antonin Dvorak
· Seguidilla by Manuel de Falla
· Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart
