Verdi’s "Nabucco" bends the force of nature · Klassik begeistert · 03.09.2026
Musically, Nayden Todorov held the reins firmly. He drove the ensemble forward with fiery energy, yet kept the balance between stage and pit at every moment.
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Wunsiedel: „Carmen“, Georges Bizet · Der Opernfreund · 27.08.2026
He has a fine sensitivity in his interplay with the soloists, even though he can only give them their cues through a screen. His conducting is passionate, headlong and firm-handed, and he lets the waves of the orchestra flow out across the wide sweep of the auditorium. A conductor of the old school, who manages to hold the tension high, yet who also responds with great delicacy to his singers, so that they are not swallowed up in those orchestral waves.
Opera on the Luisenburg: love and death in unceasing rain · Frankenpost · 23.08.2026
Chief conductor Nayden Todorov leads the roughly fifty players on the side stage with great expressive power.
A Soundtrack for the Cinema in the Mind · Frankenpost · 21.08.2026
Always smiling and in infectiously good spirits, the maestro — at home in Sofia the general director of the Philharmonic — stands at the conductor's desk on the Wunsiedel rock stage. Dynamically, with his whole body, he wields the baton as though it were a lightsaber in the fight against the dark side of the Force. Todorov drives the fifty musicians of the Venezia Festival Orchestra, with whom he tours every summer, to peak performance. … Nayden Todorov and the Venezia Festival Orchestra demonstrated this impressively on the Luisenburg.
HANAU / Amphitheater: Nabucco — Guest Performance by the Venezia Festival Opera · Online Merker · 20.08.2026
Musically, Nayden Todorov held the reins with an iron grip. The present director of the Sofia Philharmonic and repeated Bulgarian Minister of Culture is a man of practice, familiar with Verdi's workshop down to its most intimate details. Todorov drove the ensemble forward with fiery energy, yet at every moment kept the balance between what happened on stage and what happened in the pit.
Building on Tradition · K – kultura.bg · 26.07.2026
"Of late, Nayden Todorov and the Philharmonic have been rediscovering it with true inspiration… [the conductor] fused the propulsive form with a thoroughly pre-conceived dramaturgy of the work, flexibly supported by the philharmonic players."
On Kirill Gerstein's Brilliant Bulgarian Debut · Decrescendo (decrescendo.net) · 25.07.2026
"Nayden Todorov and the orchestra were highly responsive — and, something that does not always happen, but here it did: theirs was the perfect answer to Gerstein's idea of fully asserting what the Germans call fliessende Musik." […] Veselin Stoyanov's Symphony No. 1 "demonstrated the conductor's clear intent to give full voice to the work's melodic and rhythmic potential."
The Catharsis of "Styx" · Decrescendo.net · 05.06.2026
Here I must also underline conductor Nayden Todorov's reading, which came as close as possible to Gidon Kremer's own conception; he was attentive to achieving balance among choir, orchestra and violin, and traced the musical codes so characteristic of Kancheli that recur in his other works (such as the disintegrating triad in the piano, sounding with a kind of doom and passed on into the parts of other instruments and groups — as a reminder), codes that mark both the Georgian character and the cosmopolitan spirit of the composition. [...] In this performance I also want to note the play of different timbres, articulated by Todorov, as well as Kancheli's inimitable dynamic contrasts… [...] In any case, this was one of the concerts that will be remembered from this remarkable Philharmonic season.
The Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra Celebrated at the Philharmonie · Berliner Umschau · 03.05.2026
The orchestra and its conductor, Nayden Todorov, received a standing ovation in Berlin. Born in Plovdiv in 1974, Todorov, who also served as Bulgaria's Minister of Culture, has been the music director of the Sofia Philharmonic since 2017. Under his leadership, the orchestra pursues a consistent approach: it creates programs that not only present works but also provide context. Music is understood as a bridge between tradition and the present, as well as between national identity and a shared European future.
The Bulgarian Premiere of a Work by Danny Elfman, and "Scheherazade" · Radio Classica · 17.04.2026
Conductor Nayden Todorov led the orchestra skilfully. He followed the soloist attentively in the percussion concerto… cueing carefully and precisely.
An Impressive Easter Concert at the Philharmonic of the Republic of North Macedonia under Nayden Todorov · Tribuna · 09.04.2026
Maestro Todorov led the orchestra and choir in an expansive and emotionally powerful interpretation, creating an atmosphere of spiritual exaltation and deep emotion.
Lili Ivanova and Nayden Todorov Worked Magic at the National Palace of Culture · Epitsentar · 01.04.2026
The two emblematic names stepped onto one stage for the first time, to carry the audience into a veritable 'Symphony of Time', creatively composed for the 45th anniversary of the National Palace of Culture.
Ivan Yanakov presents a new recording of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the London Symphony · Crossover Media · 27.03.2026
Under Todorov's direction, the London Symphony Orchestra brings breadth, precision and weight to Rachmaninoff's writing, from the opening movement's quiet tension to the finale's cumulative force.
Sonya Yoncheva Recital — Paris (TCE): Warmth and Intimacy · Forum Opéra · 09.01.2026
Vigour is to be found in the pieces given to the orchestra, all taken by Nayden Todorov at a breathless pace that contrasts sharply with the languid tempos the conductor holds back to set the soprano's singing. The Bulgarian ensemble shows fine qualities here: cohesion of the sections, virtuosity and certain palettes of colour, which would nevertheless gain from being filled out.
Glamour, Glory and Beauty: Sonya Yoncheva at the TCE · Première Loge · 09.01.2026
The orchestra led by Nayden Todorov brings out the colours of the young nymph's amorous hope, while Yoncheva delivers her prayer to the moon with a vocal expressivity she manages to sustain in crescendo, ending her final phrase with intensity rather than letting it fade in a long breath. The effect is among the most successful, and offers a fine teaser for her role debut this year in Dvořák's opera.
Yoncheva at the TCE: The Audience Will Not Forget Her! · Ôlyrix · 08.01.2026
The Bulgarian soprano jokes that "there is a great concentration of Bulgarians" this evening at the TCE, notably in the presence of compatriots from the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and its conductor Nayden Todorov. The latter knows well the ensemble he has led for nearly twenty years. The instrumentalists nevertheless seem surprised by the energy he injects from the very first piece, "La Tregenda" from Puccini's opera Le Villi. But they rise to the occasion when the conductor literally leaps onto the podium for a breakneck overture to Bizet's Carmen. The instrumentalists are equally present in the Intermezzo from Puccini's Manon Lescaut, the solo strings delighting with expressivity and the ensemble sound unfolding harmoniously. With great naturalness and much verve they seize the seven-beat metres typical of the Bulgarian folk repertoire in "Rachenitsa", one of Petko Staynov's Thracian Dances.
Highlights | The first concert of the new year: inside the Beijing Concert Hall’s "Music Carnival" · 北京音乐厅 (Beijing Concert Hall) · 05.01.2026
Under the baton of artistic director and chief conductor Nayden Todorov, this nationally ranked orchestra, renowned across Europe, offered the audience of the capital a brilliant and warm New Year tribute in music, with a programme that joined symphonic depth to a festive spirit. Led by Todorov, the orchestra shaped the work’s bright rhythmic sense and its singing melodic lines with lightness and elasticity, so that this classic symphony sounded especially fresh on the opening night of the new year.
Jinzhu Li's Violin Enchants the Bellini · Oltrecultura · 12.12.2025
On the podium, Nayden Todorov — a conductor of long experience and practical gesture — led the orchestra with a clear approach, relying on agile tempi, controlled dynamics and a clean timbral rendering. [...] Todorov kept the orchestra in a light, transparent register, ensuring a balanced dialogue without overloading. [...] Todorov brought out the dynamic contrasts and the work on timbres, highlighting the chamber-like character of the central movements and the brilliance of the blends in the most folkloric moments.
Nayden Todorov and Jinzhu Li Take the Lead at the Teatro Massimo Bellini · Sikelian.it · 09.12.2025
The orchestra of the Teatro Massimo Bellini, under the direction of the celebrated Nayden Todorov, shone with a programme that invited the audience to look at the history of music not as a rigid line in chronological sequence, but as a continuous dialogue between past, present and future. The audience received the evening with enthusiasm, appreciating both the choice of programme and the evident rapport between conductor, soloist and orchestra.
The Philharmonic Opened the New Concert Season · Decrescendo.net · 15.09.2025
With two classical crowd-pleasers, Nayden Todorov and the Sofia Philharmonic entrusted to him opened the new concert season (11 September). The concert's programme was calculated with the interests of the Sofia audience in mind, all the more so since the soloist invited was the young pianist and musician Emanuil Ivanov — already boasting a serious concert and repertoire record for his age, and winner of first prize at the Busoni Competition (2019). [...] Here, once again, Nayden Todorov proved himself an understanding, responsive partner, and had "tuned" the orchestra into a maximally reflective instrument. The inspiration of the first half did not leave Nayden Todorov and the Sofia Philharmonic in their reading of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. One could sense the musicians' enthusiasm, surely stemming from the very fact of opening their new season, and Hall "Bulgaria" was packed, which likewise affects the musicians' confidence and inspiration. Here the musicians demonstrated their high level of instrumental skill, were careful not to overexpose the effective "fateful" motifs in the brass and the climaxes in the work's structure, and responded flexibly to the demands of the conductor, who, with a more detailed plasticity in his manual technique, "communicated" his requirements regarding phrasing through corresponding articulation and moderately projected dynamics. Tchaikovsky's music is extremely clear — both in meaning and in emotion — and also exceptionally generous in the sensitivity of its narrative. So it seems to me that his scores do not require excessive bodily plasticity from the conductor; it is enough, as was the case here, for the demands of the dramaturgy to be "spoken" precisely, in relief, clearly, with taste and measure. A successful start to the season!
"Gala in Sofia 2025" — the Cherry on the Cake of Our Musical Life · Blitz.bg · 31.08.2025
We must without fail highlight the high professionalism of the Sofia Philharmonic under the baton of its director Nayden Todorov, who by now traditionally accompany Sonya Yoncheva's projects in Bulgaria. How does one learn and master, in such a relatively short time, so many works by different composers and genres, in different styles, and with demanding star soloists at that?! It amounts to a feat!
Partnering Sonya Yoncheva. The Varna Opera and "Tosca" · Art Varna · 11.08.2025
Maestro Nayden Todorov leads the orchestra and charges every note with emotion.
Magister dixit (The Teacher Mincho Minchev) · Decrescendo.net · 11.05.2025
I can only most sincerely congratulate the management of the Sofia Philharmonic, in the person of Nayden Todorov, for the idea and its realisation of inviting the great Bulgarian musician to teach in the Muzika studio space at Bulgaria Hall.
A Triumph for Anna Netrebko and Her Former Love Yusif Eyvazov in Sofia · Bulgaria24 TV · 24.03.2025
The concert was conducted by Nayden Todorov, well known on European stages, who commanded the Sofia Philharmonic to perfection.
A Firework of the Violin · Kleine Zeitung · 18.03.2025
The accompaniment of the two soloists by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra under the precisely conducting Nayden Todorov was very taut. [...] In the final Saltarello, the playing was full of verve and élan.