64th International Festival “March Music Days” – Opening
Naiden Todorov
Naiden Todorov is one of the most talented contemporary Bulgarian musicians, known for his versatile performances and vivid interpretations across different musical genres.

He graduated from the National School of Music and Dance Art “Dobrin Petkov” in Plovdiv. He studied orchestral conducting with Prof. Uroš Lajovic, choral conducting with Prof. Günter Theuring, and opera conducting with Prof. Konrad Leitner at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

In 1996, he went to Jerusalem at the invitation of the Leonard Bernstein Foundation to specialize under Mendi Rodan, conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

A year later, he founded the “Thracian Summer” festival in Plovdiv. In 1998, he received his first permanent international engagement in Haifa, Israel, where he was selected among 150 candidates to become the permanent conductor of the North Israel Symphony Orchestra. In the following years, Naiden Todorov performed in major cultural centers across Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. In 2000, at just 26 years old, he was appointed Music Director of the Plovdiv Opera and Philharmonic, becoming the youngest conductor in Bulgaria to attain such a position.

Between 2005 and 2017, Todorov was Director of the Ruse State Opera. With the Ruse Philharmonic Orchestra, he recorded several CDs, the latest featuring works by Pancho Vladigerov, and released a DVD of the concert in Bucharest with John Lord. With the Ruse Opera ballet, he toured in Italy, South Korea, and Dubai. One of his signature productions remains Shostakovich’s opera Katerina Izmailova. Under his direction, the Ruse Opera staged numerous performances in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, featuring various Bulgarian and international soloists.

He received several awards for his work with the Ruse Opera, including multiple “Crystal Lyres”, the “Golden Book” award, “Emil Chakarov”, “Musician of the Year”, and was named an Honorary Citizen of Ruse.

In 2006, he made his debut with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and conducted their tour concerts in major cities in Japan.

In 2010, he debuted at the Vienna Volksoper, conducting The Nutcracker ballet with the Vienna State Ballet.

Todorov has worked with all Bulgarian orchestras and opera houses, as well as with many international orchestras, including the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Bogotá Philharmonic (Colombia), the Romanian Radio and Television Orchestra, and the Tokyo Philharmonic.

Since 2018, as part of the Sofia Philharmonic’s educational initiative, Todorov has hosted the classical music show “At the Concert with BNT 2”.

A passionate fantasy fan and avid gamer, in 2021 he published his book “A Sigh of Angels: Short Stories.”

Memorable performances with the Sofia Philharmonic under his baton include concerts at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, the Lisinski Hall in Zagreb, and the Grand Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie. In just three days, on March 17, the Sofia Philharmonic will once again perform under his direction at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna.

 
Alexander Sitkovetsky
Violin / Conductor

Born in Moscow, Alexander Sitkovetsky comes from a well-established musical family. At the age of eight, he made his solo debut with an orchestra and soon enrolled at the Yehudi Menuhin School, where he is now an associate artist. He continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London and later at the Kronberg Academy in Germany. As a soloist, conductor, and chamber musician, he has received numerous awards, including First Prize at the “Trio di Trieste” Duo Competition in 2011, alongside pianist Wu Qian, with whom he frequently performs.

His 2024/25 season begins with a concert with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Iván Fischer, promoting world peace with musicians from Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine. This is followed by three concerts with Camerata Salzburg, featuring an all-Mozart program, and a performance of Britten’s Violin Concerto with the Dessau Philharmonic.

In October 2024, he returns to conduct the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, including a performance of Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1. He will then appear with the renowned Leopoldinum Orchestra in Wrocław, Poland, where he is entering his second season as Artistic Director. His repertoire includes both classical works and world premieres for tours across Poland and abroad.

In January 2025, he will conduct a concert in honor of Yehudi Menuhin with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, alongside James Cuddeford, featuring works by Bach, Elgar, Bartók, and Panufnik.

Following a three-year residency at Lincoln Center in New York as part of the Chamber Music Society’s Bowers Program, Alexander received the Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award in 2016. He remains an active artist with CMS, performing there in December 2024 and April 2025.

Other highlights this season include a February tour with the Prague Symphony Orchestra, performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, concerts in Hungary with the chamber ensemble Anima Musica alongside Maxim Rysanov, performing Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, and his debut at the “March Music Days” Festival in Ruse, Bulgaria.

Last season, he performed with orchestras such as the Brno Philharmonic, Aarhus Symphony, and the English Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor, he led performances with Camerata Salzburg, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic, Camerata Novi Sad, and the Romanian Sinfonietta. He has previously appeared with ensembles like the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Detmold Chamber Orchestra, Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin, BBC Scottish Symphony, London Mozart Players, and many more.

He is the founder of the award-winning Sitkovetsky Trio, which has toured globally. In 2022, the trio won the BBC Music Magazine Award for Chamber Music. In September 2024, they will premiere a new trio by Lena Siero titled Bucha, commissioned by the ensemble.

Alexander is also a permanent member of Julia Fischer’s string quartet. As a chamber musician, he has performed at festivals such as Verbier, Storioni, Stavanger, Music for Galway, and Schubertiade.

His recordings have received critical acclaim, including his 2018 recording of Philip Sawyers’ Violin Concerto with the English Symphony Orchestra (Chandos), and Andrzej Panufnik’s Violin Concerto with the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin (CPO), commemorating the composer’s centenary, which won an ICMA award for special achievement.

Alexander performs on a 1679 Antonio Stradivari violin, the “Parera,” kindly loaned by the Beare’s International Violin Society from a generous donor.

 
Andrei Ioniță
Cello

For Andrei Ioniță, life, music, and art are never mediocre — they chart their own expressive path. The Times (London) calls him “one of the most exciting cellists of the decade,” while Gramophone hails him as “a cellist of superb skill, musical imagination, and dedication to contemporary music.”

He has performed with many leading European orchestras, including the Munich Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Nuremberg Philharmonic, and the Czech Philharmonic.

His virtuosity has taken him on tours across the U.S., performing with the Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestras.

He has worked with renowned conductors such as Lawrence Foster, Herbert Blomstedt, Paavo Järvi, Cristian Măcelaru, Joana Mallwitz, Sylvain Cambreling, Kent Nagano, Michael Sanderling, Sascha Goetzel, and Jonathan Bloxham.

A sought-after chamber musician, Ioniță collaborates with artists like Martha Argerich, Christian Tetzlaff, Sergei Babayan, and Steven Isserlis. He regularly appears at some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals. “Music unfolds magically and reaches the audience as if it speaks directly to the soul,” says Ioniță.

Orchestral highlights for the 2024/25 season include concerts with the Spanish RTVE Symphony Orchestra, the Saarland State Orchestra, and the Saint Louis Symphony under Ruth Reinhardt, a tour with the Moravian Philharmonic, concerts with the BBC Philharmonic under Ben Gernon, the Antalya State Symphony under Marzena Diakun, and the Arkansas Symphony under Geoffrey Robson.

In September 2024, Ioniță appeared on BBC Radio in London. In Germany, he participated in Beethoven’s Septet with top musicians such as Franziska Hölscher, Sebastian Manz, and Felix Klieser, performing in Grünwald, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Düsseldorf’s Schumann Hall, and Linz’s Brucknerhaus. A new recital program with pianist Nathalia Milstein will bring him back to Bamberg. Further appearances include the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Utah Chamber Music Festival, and the Intonations Festival.

His debut solo album, Oblique Strategies, features the world premiere of a work