New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra

Saturday, February 17, 2024 @ 7:00pm



State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Nayden Todorov, Principal Conductor

Liya Petrova, Violin

PROGRAM

Mozart, Overture to the Marriage of Figaro Opera 

Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major

Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in G minor

In 1945 the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra became the national orchestra of Bulgaria and has long established itself as one of the leading cultural institutions, representative of the overall contemporary musical culture of the country. The repertoire of the Sofia Philharmonic comprises works from the entire historically available range of music—from classical to contemporary opuses, including premiere performances of numerous works by Bulgarian composers. The orchestra has garnered substantial recognition all over the world. It has guest-performed with great success in the major musical centres across Europe, Asia, and North America, and has received acclaim even from the most demanding of audiences. The Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra was awarded many prestigious accolades including: “Musician of the Year,” “Golden Lyre,” “Golden Stave,” “Golden Quill,” “Crystal Lyre,” the Honorary Sign of Sofia, and the Honorary Sign of the President of Bulgaria. Maestro Nayden Todorov has been the general director of the Sofia Philharmonic since 2017.

Nayden Todorov studied orchestral conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. In 1996 he made his U.S. debut and short after he was invited by the Israeli Leonard Bernstein Foundation to the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem, where he specialized under Mendi Rodan. In 1997 he founded the Thracian Summer Festival in Plovdiv. A year later, he received his first permanent international engagement in Haifa, Israel, with the North Israel Symphony Orchestra. From 2005-2017 Maestro Todorov was the director of the State Opera in Rousse. In 2006 he made his debut with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and a year later he conducted the concerts of its tour to the largest cities in Japan. This was followed by debuts at the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow and at the Vienna Volksoper. In 2001 he made his debut with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and was elected its director in 2017. Since 2018, as part of the educational policy of the Sofia Philharmonic, Todorov became the host of the classical music program of the Bulgarian National Television. In 2019, for his concerts with the Sofia Philharmonic, he was voted Musician of the Year for the second time by the listeners of the Bulgarian National Radio.

Liya Petrova is a First Prize Winner at the International Carl Nielsen Violin Competition 2016 in Denmark. She is praised for her “Effortless virtuosity” (The Strad) and “Exceptional tonal variety“ (Gramophone). She has won numerous prizes at international competitions including the Concours International de Violon Tibor Varga, the International Louis Spohr Competition, and the Vaclav Huml Competition, among others. As a soloist Petrova has performed with many renowned orchestras such as the Orchestre Philharmonique Luxembourg, the Filharmonie Antwerp, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, the Staatskapelle Weimar, the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. Her first solo album with the Odense Symphony Orchestra under Kristiina Poska, including Nielsen and Prokofiev first Violin concerto for Orchid Classic Label (2018) brought her international critical acclaim. 




For information on how your event can be listed, click here



 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info

FEATURED EVENTS

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Tuesday

Tuesday Night Record Club - Crowded House

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Monmouth University - The Great Hall
400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Curtis

Curtis Salgado

Wednesday, July 02, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

John

John Lee & Friends

Thursday, July 03, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Blues

Blues People with Special Guest: Jeff Levine

Saturday, July 05, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Straight

Straight No Chaser - Summer: The 90’s Part 2

Tuesday, July 08, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

More events

Event Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages




 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

NJPAC

NJPAC presents KEM with special guest Melania Fiona

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents a special evening with KEM, known as Soul's Greatness, on Friday, July 18, 2025 at 8:00pm. Special guest Melanie Fiona will open the night.



Drew

Drew University Rocks the House with Legendary Tributes and Live Comedy In September

(MADISON, NJ) -- This September, Drew University's Concert Hall in Madison will transform into a powerhouse of live entertainment, delivering six unforgettable nights of tributes and laughter. From heartland rock and Southern soul to mystical classics and offbeat comedy, each event brings a unique and electrifying experience to audiences of all ages.



Levoy

Levoy Theatre presents The Artimus Pyle Band – Honoring Ronnie Van Zant's Lynyrd Skynyrd

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre presents The Artimus Pyle Band on Friday, August 22, 2025 at 8:00pm. The band features Artimus Pyle, the last surviving member and drummer of the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup & 2006 Rock & Roll HOF inductee with Lynyrd Skynyrd.



An

An Interview with Tim Palmieri of Lotus

Lotus was founded between 1998-1999 at Goshen College in Goshen, IN. Now based out of Dever, Colorado and Philadelphia, PA primarily, Lotus continues to bloom as a premiere jamtronica band for over the past 25 years. In 2021, founding member and longtime guitarist, Micheal Rempel left Lotus ushering in new guitarist, Tim Palmieri.



Latin

Latin Legends Tribute to Shakira and Selena Comes to The Strand Theater

(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- Two of the most iconic voices in Latin music history will share the same stage—at least in spirit—when Latin Legends: Tribute to Shakira and Selena arrives at The Strand Center for the Arts on Friday, September 26, 2025 at 8:00pm.




 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info