GRIGOR PALIKAROV is one of Bulgaria’s most prominent conductors. He graduated from the Dobrin Petkov National Music School in his hometown of Plovdiv with a degree in piano, receiving top marks and a gold badge in 1990. He continued his education at the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia, earning a master’s degree in four specialties: opera and symphony conducting with Acad. Vassil Kazandjiev and Prof. Ivan Voulpe; composition with Prof. Dimitar Tapkoff; piano with Prof. Krassimir Taskov; and choral conducting with Prof. Stoyan Kralev. He further specialized in composition during two summer courses in Austria with Prof. Erich Urbanner of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
He made his operatic debut while still a student, conducting Rigoletto at the opera houses in Pleven and Stara Zagora at the age of 22. His professional career began with the Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian Army Ensemble (1995–1997), where he later served as principal conductor (1997–1999). During this period, he also became conductor and chief artistic director of the renowned Pioneer Youth Philharmonic (1998–2003).
He made his debut at the National Opera and Ballet in Sofia in 1998, conducting Ghena Dimitrova’s gala concert at her personal invitation. From January 2000 to April 2019, he was a staff conductor at the company, and his repertoire now includes more than sixty opera and ballet titles.
Since 2022, he has been a professor of opera and symphony conducting at the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music, where he successfully defended his doctorate in 2017 and his associate professorship in April 2019.
Since the 2005/2006 season, he has also been the artistic director and conductor of the Maestro G. Atanasov Symphony and Opera Society in Pazardzhik. Since September 2024, he has also been the chief conductor of the Plovdiv State Opera.
Grigor Palikarov is a frequent guest conductor of many orchestras and opera houses in the country, including the Sofia Philharmonic, the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Classic FM Orchestra (Cantus Firmus Orchestra), of which he has been permanent conductor since the 2008/09 season, the Festival Orchestra – Sofia, the State Operas in Varna (of which he is also permanent guest conductor), Burgas, Stara Zagora, and others. Among his conducting engagements, his numerous studio recordings of various works with the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, as well as his participation in prestigious national and international music festivals such as the Sofia Music Weeks, March Music Days – Ruse, European Music Festival – Sofia, Apollonia, Varna Summer, Katya Popova Laureate Days – Pleven, Austrian Music Weeks, New Bulgarian Music, Winter Music Evenings – Pazardzhik, Opera and Ballet Art Festival – Stara Zagora, Festival of Contemporary Music – Pula (Croatia), May Opera Evenings – Skopje, Duni Festival – Matera (Italy), BMIMF – Korea, and many others. He regularly performs abroad in countries such as Italy, Poland, Korea, Japan, Uruguay, Russia, the USA, Romania, Greece, Slovenia, Ukraine, Taiwan, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Great Britain, etc.
Alongside his conducting career, Grigor Palikarov also composes and performs as a pianist. His works have been presented at numerous festivals and recorded on several occasions. For his achievements as both composer and pianist, he has received a number of national and international awards from competitions such as Svetoslav Obretenov, Albert Roussel, Music and Earth, among others. He is also the recipient of many distinguished honors, including the Crystal Lyre of the Bulgarian Musicians’ Union (four times: 2002, 2012, 2017, and 2022), the Golden Pen (2009), the Emil Chakarov Award (2019), the Golden Lyre of the Bulgarian Musicians’ Union for his exceptional contribution to Bulgarian musical art and on the occasion of his 50th anniversary (2021), and the Grand Prize for overall contribution to the cultural development of the municipality of Pazardzhik (2025).
During two terms, he served as chairman of Mensa Bulgaria, the national branch of the global organization for individuals with high IQ.