Classic Highlights with star violinist Alexander Markov
Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Svetoslav Borisov
Soloist Alexander Markov – violin, USA
This concert was supported by the US Embassy in Bulgaria.
The Megastar – Alexander Markov – will shine with his charisma in front of the audience of the International Music Festival “Varna Summer“ 2022. He will come on the stage in Varna with the Istanbul Symphony Orchestra conducted by Svetoslav Borisov.
Internationally celebrated violinist Alexander Markov received his United States citizenship in 1982 and has made a successful career in the USA as one of people’s most favourite violinists. Whether performing as a soloist with prestigious orchestras at major concert halls around the world or playing at sports arenas in front of 25 000 people at the NBA game on his gold electric violin, Alexander Markov always makes an instant connection with his audiences. A Gold Medal winner at the Paganini International Violin Competition, he has appeared as a soloist with some of the world’s most celebrated orchestras, performing with such conductors as Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Ivan Fischer, and has been sharing stages with Martha Argerich. His CD release and the video of the 24 Paganini Caprices, distributed world-wide by Warner Classics International, caused a sensation and became a best-seller. Markov knows how to merge his love for classical music and rock. The audience in Varna will enjoy his performance on the gold, 6-string electric violin, which is one-of-a-kind in the world, with a Rock Symphony, created by Markov himself.
Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra’s roots go back to the beginning of the 19th Century. Through its long and rich history, the orchestra maintains a special place in Istanbul’s cultural life by preserving and developing both tradition and new thinking. The orchestra performed many of the works of Turkish composers for the first time and recorded radio and TV programs. It had concert tours in Europe, South America, Japan, Egypt. Over the years Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra has worked with many fine conductors and internationally acclaimed soloists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Gidon Kramer, Luciano Pavarotti, Leyla Gencer, Fazil Say. Since 2014 the Principal Conductor of the orchestra has been Ender Sakpinar.
The Bulgarian conductor Svetoslav Borisov is Principal Conductor and Deputy Music Director at the Magdeburg Opera since the season 2016/2017 and remains Artistic Director of the Austrian chamber orchestra CON FUOCO in Graz. From 2013 – 2015 he was assistant of Music Director Steven Sloane and conductor at the Bochum Symphony Orchestra and until 2016 chief conductor of the Opera in Varna. He maintains close contact with both institutions as a frequent guest.Svetoslav Borisov has obtained rich experience through his collaboration with many orchestras, among them the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, the Bochum and Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestras, the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra, the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen and the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared as guest conductor in Austria, Belgium, China, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Israel, Turkey and the Ukraine. Several years ago, he stepped in at the last minute for Krzysztof Penderecki with the Graz Philharmonic and has been invited to the orchestra again in 2018/2019. He is also a regular guest at the Bruckner-Orchester Linz. In the summer of 2022 he conducted the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra at the Jerusalem Lyric Opera Festival.And in June 2023, he will give his debut with the Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich at the Grafenegg Festival.
