Prof. Vasil Stefanov, conductor and violinist (1913-1991) was born on May 6, 1913 in Shumen. His father was a music teacher, his mother played the violin. In 1919 the family settled in Varna. There he took lessons from Dimitar Mladenov. Together with his sister Rozalia, who was a pianist, they gave concerts. At a concert in 1927 he heard Sasha Popov perform for the first time as a violinist, and a year later as a conductor. After the concert, the boy met the great musician and even played for him. At the young man’s insistence, the family moved to Sofia, and Vasil began working hard with Sasha Popov. He progressed quickly, began playing in the Academic Symphony Orchestra and even became his assistant concertmaster. From 1936 to 1945 he was concertmaster of the Tsarist Military Symphony Orchestra, then from 1946 to 1954 he was conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1947 he went to Prague for specialization, where he studied with Vaclav Talich. He returned in 1949 and received an offer from the management of Radio Sofia to create a Symphony Orchestra. He remained in this position for forty years. The first concertmaster of the new ensemble was Nedyalka Simeonova. The orchestra’s concerts were broadcast live on the air. He is one of the founders (1948) of the Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor since 1954. Founder of the State Symphony Orchestra in Shumen (1954) and leader of the “Gusla” choir from 1961 to 1979. He was a violin and conducting teacher at the Bulgarian State Conservatory. Winner of the Dimitrov Award (1953). Winner of the Order of Cyril and Methodius, first degree (1960), the Order of Georgi Dimitrov (1983), the Order of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, third degree (1973).
In parallel with his concert and recording work at the radio, he continues to conduct concerts of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra.