Yordan Dafov

Yordan Dafov (b. 1940) is a prominent representative of the contemporary Bulgarian conducting school. He has been a long-time conductor of the Sofia and Varna Philharmonics, head of the Burgas Philharmonic, as well as of the Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra – Dobrich (Tolbukhin Chamber Orchestra).
He graduated from the National Academy of Music (then BDK) in the conducting class of Prof. Konstantin Iliev and composition with Prof. Pancho Vladigerov. In 1971, he continued his studies at the Paris Conservatory with specializations in composition, analysis and aesthetics, as a student of Olivier Messiaen. He began his conducting career in 1966 at the Varna Philharmonic. Since 1977, he has been the artistic director and chief conductor of the Burgas Philharmonic. In early 1981 became the conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, while at the same time being the chief conductor of the Tolbukhin Chamber Orchestra, which under his skillful leadership managed to earn the name of one of the best chamber ensembles in Bulgaria. From 1997 to 1999 he was the artistic director and chief conductor of the Varna Philharmonic. In the period 2000 - 2002 he was the director and conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic. He has been a guest conductor in France, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Romania, Spain, Poland, Hungary. He has made recordings for the Bulgarian National Television and the Bulgarian National Radio, as well as for the French and Swedish radio and Spanish television.
His compositional work includes three symphonies, "Morning Music and Serenades" (for string orchestra), "In Profile and Full Face" (for large symphony orchestra), vocal music for instrumental chamber ensembles, theater music, etc.