site.btaSofia Philharmonic Presents Rutter’s Requiem and Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in Final November Concert

The Sofia Philharmonic will present a programme that unites the refined romanticism of Frederic Chopin and the spiritual radiance of John Rutter under the baton of Maestro Nayden Todorov on November 30, the Philharmonic said on Wednesday. 

The first half of the concert features Requiem by John Rutter, one of the most cherished contemporary sacred works. Composed in 1985 in memory of the composer’s father, it combines the traditional Latin text of the Mass for the Dead with passages from the Psalms and the Gospel in English. Soprano Mariya Slavova, known for her crystal timbre, will appear in the Requiem, supported by the singers of the National Philharmonic Choir, who will contribute to the depth and grandeur of the work. This performance marks the young soprano’s debut with the National Orchestra.

Slavova is a student of opera prima Darina Takova, who remains her mentor and teacher. She graduated from the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Music Academy in Sofia and later became a scholarship holder of the Boris Christoff Academy in Rome. Between 2004 and 2017 she was both chorister and soloist with the Children’s Choir of the Bulgarian National Radio. In 2025 she is a finalist in the International Singing Competition Citta di Alcamo, represents Bulgaria at EXPO in Osaka, Japan, and makes her debut as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor in Fanano (Modena). 

The second half of the evening is devoted to Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, a work written by the 20-year-old composer to express his youthful ardour and love for his homeland. The concerto, with its pianistic virtuosity and lyrical themes, will be performed by the legendary pianist Mikhail Pletnev, a major figure in contemporary musical art. 

A gold medallist at the Tchaikovsky Competition and renowned for his “perfect balance between head and heart”, Pletnev gave concerts in the Soviet Union, Europe and the USA in solo recitals and with famous orchestras under the batons of Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Kurt Sanderling, Neeme Jarvi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mstislav Rostropovich, Rudolf Barshai, Valery Gergiev and others. Since 1996, Pletnev has lived in Switzerland and like any great artist is a citizen of the world. He is an outstanding interpreter of a vast repertoire as a pianist and conductor. He has an extensive discography with over 100 releases. His benchmark performances include the piano works and concertos of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. His recordings have won numerous awards such as: Gramophone for its release of sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti (1996), ECHO Klassik for keyboard works by Scriabin (1999), and the album Pletnev Live at Carnegie Hall (2001), Grammy in the category of Best Chamber Music Performance for his recordings with Martha Argerich of Prokofiev’s piano suite Cinderella for two pianos (transcription by Pletnev) and Ravel’s Ma mere l’Oye (2005).