EMIL TABAKOV was born on August 21st, 1947 in Ruse. He graduated from the Music Academy in Sofia with a degree in double bass, conducting and composition. He is a laureate of national and international competitions – both as a double bass player (Sofia) and as a conductor (Nikolai Malko, 1977, Copenhagen).
His conducting career began with the Ruse Philharmonic in 1976. From 1979 to 1988 he led the Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble, and in the period between 1985-2000 he was successively conductor, chief conductor and music director of the Sofia Philharmonic. From 1994 to 1999 he was also chief conductor of the Belgrade Philharmonic. Between 2002 and 2008 he headed the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Ankara. From the end of 2008 to the end of 2015 he was successively director of the Music Production and Ensembles Directorate of the Bulgarian National Radio and chief conductor of the BNR Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with orchestras in almost all European countries, as well as in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Brazil, South Africa, Iran and others.
Emil Tabakov’s repertoire includes operas and musical works from all musical epochs. He’s done records for Balkanton (Bulgaria), Elan (USA), Capriccio Delta (Germany), Mega-Music (Bulgaria), Pentagon (The Netherlands), Gega New (Bulgaria), EMI, Naxos and others.
Emil Tabakov is an author of ten symphonies, concerts for orchestra, concerts for various instruments, Requiem based on a Latin lyrics, chamber and solo works. Most of them were commissioned by international festivals and famous artists. They have been released on CDs for the record companies Naxos, Gega New, Balkanton, Toccata Classics. They have been awarded national prizes and are often performed in Bulgaria, Germany, Portugal, USA, Japan, Finland, France, Austria, Turkey and others.
Emil Tabakov is a winner of prestigious national awards in the field of music – “Musician of the Year” of the Bulgarian National Radio for 1992, “Man of the Year” of the International Bibliographic Center in Cambridge, one of the 100 best professionals according to the International Bibliographic Center for 2012. In 1997 he was Minister of Culture in the office government of Stefan Sofiyanski.