Emil Tabakov (b. 1947) graduated from the National Academy of Music in 1978 majoring in Double Bass under Professor Todor Toshev, Composition under Professor Marin Goleminov and Conducting under Professor Vladi Simeonov. He conducted the Ruse Philharmonic (1976-79), the Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble (1979-87). Conductor (since 1985), Principal Conductor (1987-2000) and General Music Director (1994-2000) of the Sofia Philharmonic. From 1994 to 2000, he was Artistic director and conductor of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2000, he has been conductor in Ankara. Since 2000 currently, he is Artistic director of the New Year Music Festival in Sofia.
He was Minister of Culture in 1997.
He was prize-winner at the Nikolay Malko Young Conductors Competition in Copenhagen (1977). As a conductor, he made his name with a rich repertoire ranging from Classicism and Romanticism to Modernism. He recorded for the Bulgarian companies Balkanton, Mega Musica and Gega New, as well as for Elan (USA), Capriccio/Delta (Germany), Pentagon (Netherlands), etc. works by Gustav Mahler (complete symphonies), Johannes Brahms (complete symphonies and overtures, German Requiem), Richard Strauss (Alpine Symphony), Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (Sheheresade), Alexander Skriabin (complete symphonies), Ludwig van Beethoven (complete piano concertos), Bela Bartok (Concerto for orchestra, The Wonderful Mandarin), Giuseppe Verdi (Requiem), etc. With the Sofia Philharmonic he toured Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, the UK, the USA, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, etc. He was guest conductor with orchestras in Germany, Brazil, California, Japan and South Korea.
As a composer, he showed an affinity to large-scale works. He composed in a variety of genres: two ballets; a requiem; six symphonies and other works for symphony orchestra; concertos and concert pieces; chamber instrumental works; solo and choral songs, etc. A number of his works were released on CD; several were awarded and presented the Bulgarian music abroad (in Austria, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, Australia, the USA, Canada, etc.).