Nayden Todorov (Bulgarian: Найден Тодоров; born 8 April 1974) is a Bulgarian conductor, cultural manager, and author. He has served as Artistic Director of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra since 2017, under whose direction the orchestra has performed at major venues including the Musikverein in Vienna, the Berliner Philharmonie, and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. He has also served as Bulgaria's caretaker Minister of Culture on three occasions, in 2023, 2024–2025, and 2026.
His international recognition includes the Order of Arts and Letters awarded by the Republic of France (2025) and the Order of Cultural Merit in the rank of Grand Officer, awarded by the President of Romania (2024). He is among a small number of Bulgarian musicians to have received the award "Musician of the Year" more than once, having been voted to this distinction by listeners of the Bulgarian National Radio in 2012 and 2018.
Early life and education
Todorov was born on 8 April 1974 in Plovdiv. He began piano lessons at the age of five. He studied piano under Darina Kantardzhieva and trumpet under Lilia Kovacheva-Toporcheva at the Dobrin Petkov National School of Music in Plovdiv, from which he graduated with honours in 1993. While still a pupil, he also studied composition with Svetlozar Bratanov and conducting with Krastju Marev, the long-serving principal conductor of the Plovdiv Opera. As a student he founded the Plovdiv Youth Orchestra, with which he toured and performed in Bulgaria, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany.
He subsequently studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where he worked in the orchestral conducting class of Professor Uroš Lajovic, studied choral conducting with Professor Günther Theuring, opera conducting with Professor Konrad Leitner and musical leadership with Peter Richter. Additional formative influences included composer Alexander Vladigerov and conductor Karl Österreicher. During his Viennese studies he held scholarships from the Borghese Foundation (1993–1995), the Saints Cyril and Methodius Foundation (1995–1997), Rotary International Vienna (1995–1997), and the George Wachter Foundation of Switzerland (1996–1998).
In 1996, Todorov was invited by the Leonard Bernstein Foundation (Jerusalem) for a specialisation at the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance, where he studied under Mendi Rodan, conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. While in Israel he also served as a trumpet player in the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, working alongside conductors including Lorin Maazel, Sergiu Comissiona, and Krzysztof Penderecki.
He received a master's degree in conducting from New Bulgarian University in 2001, later obtained a degree in Cultural Management from the same university in 2013, and holds a doctorate from New Bulgarian University.
Career
Early career (1993–2000)
Todorov made his professional conducting debut in 1993 with the Vratsa Philharmonic Orchestra, at the invitation of its principal conductor Vesselin Baytchev, and became the orchestra's conductor in 1995. In 1997, he founded the Thracian Summer international festival in Plovdiv, which he has directed since its inception.
In 1998, he was selected from among more than 150 candidates to become the permanent conductor of the North Israel Symphony Orchestra in Haifa, his first permanent international appointment. That same year he was invited to serve as Artistic Advisor of the Los Angeles International Chamber Music Festival.
Plovdiv and Burgas (2000–2005)
In 2000, at the age of 26, Todorov was appointed Music Director of the Plovdiv Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming at that time the youngest conductor in Bulgaria to hold such a position. He made his operatic debut in early 2001 with a production of Puccini's Tosca. Under his direction the Plovdiv Opera undertook international touring, including productions presented in the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom. With the Plovdiv Philharmonic he recorded the symphonies of Louis Glass for the Danish label Danacord. In 2001, he also began a long-standing collaboration with soprano Raina Kabaivanska, conducting the orchestra at her master classes at the Sofia National Opera; the collaboration extended over subsequent years to concerts in Italy and Spain.
Between 2003 and 2005, Todorov served as Artistic Director of the Burgas Opera and Philharmonic Society.
Ruse State Opera (2005–2017)
From 2005 to 2017, Todorov was the director of the State Opera in Ruse, where he also held the position of artistic director of the "Danube Sounds" Choir. Under his direction the Ruse Opera performed in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and undertook tours to Italy, South Korea, and Dubai. His production of Shostakovich's Katerina Izmailova, directed by Vera Nemirova, was covered in a special broadcast on Austrian television and in the German opera magazine Opernwelt. During this period he received multiple Crystal Lyre awards and the Emil Chakarov Prize (2014), and was made an Honorary Citizen of Ruse in 2015.
During his tenure in Ruse, Todorov created and has been closely associated with the international summer festival Scene by the River (Bulgarian: Сцена край реката), conducting productions including Verdi's Rigoletto, gala concerts with tenor Kaludi Kaludov, and the world premiere of John Robertson's opera Orpheus.
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra (2017–present)
Todorov made his debut with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra in 2001. From the 2004–2005 season he became its permanent guest conductor, later advancing to principal guest conductor. In 2017, he was elected Artistic Director of the orchestra, a position to which he was re-elected in October 2022.
Under his artistic leadership, the Sofia Philharmonic has appeared at major international venues, including the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels (January 2018, at the inaugural concert of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union), the Musikverein in Vienna (2019 and May 2022), the Berliner Philharmonie (December 2022), the Konzerthaus Wien, the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, the Lisinski Hall in Zagreb, and the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest.
The orchestra has also appeared under his direction at numerous international festivals and summer concert series, including the Ljubljana Festival in Slovenia, the Varna Summer International Music Festival, and the European Music Festival in Sofia, where in 2018 he conducted the opening gala concert with violinist Maxim Vengerov and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra.
Writing in December 2019, Gramophone described the Sofia Philharmonic under Todorov's direction as having "engendered a broader, bolder repertoire in its concerts" and noted that he had "brought a new calibre of soloist and guest conductor to work with it." Among the soloists who have appeared with the orchestra under his direction are Joshua Bell, Julian Rachlin, Midori, Sarah Chang, Maxim Vengerov, Martha Argerich, Maria João Pires, Ivo Pogorelich, Gautier Capuçon, Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson, and Plácido Domingo.
In an interview with Bachtrack in September 2023, Todorov described his approach to programming as systematic, combining audience polls, orchestral feedback, and analysis of international concert programmes to select soloists and repertoire.
International guest conducting
Todorov has guest-conducted orchestras across Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa. Among the orchestras he has conducted are the Wiener Symphoniker, Berliner Symphoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Brazil, Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, Cairo Philharmonic Orchestra, Sicilia Symphony Orchestra, and the LA Festival Chamber Orchestra.
Opera houses at which he has conducted include the Volksoper Wien (including The Nutcracker), Liceu Opera Barcelona, İstanbul State Opera and Ballet, Belgrade National Opera, Bucharest National Opera, and the Wichita Grand Opera.
In Spain, Todorov made his debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu conducting the orchestra of the theatre in a recital by soprano Sonya Yoncheva. Reviewing the concert, Platea Magazine wrote that he conducted "with clarity, efficiency and concentration". In Colombia, he conducted the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá in concerts with cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia, including works by Debussy, Saint-Saëns and Franck.
Concert halls at which he has performed include the Musikverein Vienna, Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg, Konzerthaus Wien, Berliner Philharmonie, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Herkulessaal Munich, Meistersingerhalle Nuremberg, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Tonhalle Zürich, Bolshoi Theatre Moscow, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall Moscow, Coliseu do Porto, Auditorio Nacional Madrid, and L'Auditori Barcelona.
He has also appeared at international festivals and open-air summer concert series in Germany and Austria, including the Münchner Open Air Sommer at the Residenz München, the Sommernacht der Filmmusik series in Munich and Nuremberg, productions at the Serenadenhof Nürnberg, the Amphitheater Hanau summer festival series, the Seebühne Bremen open-air concerts, and festival events in the Wörthersee region of Klagenfurt.
In 2025, he conducted the opening gala concert of the International Istanbul Opera Festival at the Atatürk Cultural Center in Istanbul.
Film music and crossover projects
Following an acquaintance with Hollywood composer Jerry Goldsmith in Los Angeles in 1996, Todorov became a regular conductor of film music concerts, including an annual series in Munich. In 2019, he conducted a major Chinese tour of Star Wars in Concert, organised by Disney, featuring the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also conducted the concert series "The Night of the Five Tenors" at venues including the Berliner Philharmonie, the Herkulessaal in Munich, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, and the Meistersingerhalle in Nuremberg.
Todorov has also collaborated with artists outside the traditional classical repertoire, including the American singer Anastacia, conducting her concert appearances in Germany. He has also collaborated with Bulgarian pop singer Lili Ivanova in symphonic crossover concerts with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra.
His crossover discography includes Jon Lord's Live in Bucharest, recorded in 2009 with the Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra.
Television
Since 2018, Todorov has served as the host of A Concert with BNT 2, an educational classical music programme on Bulgarian National Television's BNT 2 channel.
Recordings
Todorov has made more than 130 recordings for labels including Music Minus One (MMO), Danacord, Hungaroton, Naxos, Dynamic, Doron Music, Waterpipe Records, Gega New, Balkanton and IMI.