Delyana Lazarova: I dream of music reaching as many people as possible

For several years, Delyana Lazarova has been enjoying a rapid career as a conductor all over the world. In 2020, she received the position of assistant conductor to one of the greatest masters of the baton - Sir Mark Elder, long-time music director of The Hallé Orchestra in Manchester. The Bulgarian also took the place of music director of the Hallé Youth Orchestra. She also assisted Cristian Măcelaru at the WDR Symphony Orchestra - Cologne and at the Orchestre National de France.

Delyana was born in Plovdiv, graduated from the Dobrin Petkov National School of Music and Dance with a degree in violin. She has a master's degree and a performing arts diploma from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington, where she studied violin with Mauricio Fuks and received a scholarship for artistic achievements. She graduated as a conductor at the Zurich University of the Arts in the class of Johannes Schlaefli. She has participated in master classes with some of the greatest conductors of our time. In recent seasons, the Bulgarian has worked with leading ensembles from UK, France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Estonia, Romania and the USA. On September 10, 2025, Delyana’s name became part of the history of the prestigious BBC Proms festival in London as the first invited Bulgarian conductor. That is how her work as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra began. This summer she participates at the BBC Proms again – on July 30 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. In December 2024, the Utah Symphony named Delyana Lazarova Principal Guest Conductor, effective fall 2025.

On June 27, 2026, Varna happily welcomed the young Bulgarian for the anniversary edition of the 100th International Music Festival "Varna Summer", which for the first time in its history was opened by a female conductor. We conducted the special interview for Radio Bulgaria with Delyana Lazarova remotely days later, shortly after her personal holiday (her birthday is on July 1). Asked about the gifts she received, she said that the biggest was the opportunity to celebrate with her family. And the most valuable and beautiful gift she has ever received is that her life has been connected to music from the very beginning.

Regarding the event on June 27, when she opened "Varna Summer", she says that she is very happy because the orchestra played wonderfully... Particularly important for her is the premiere of composer Milko Kolarov - Cantata-Poem for “the most Bulgarian time" - 1876, dedicated to 150 years since the April Uprising.

A female conductor. About two decades ago, this sounded like something extraordinary and two decades before that – almost impossible. Today, however, many women have taken the batons and stormed all the world's podiums and orchestras. "Yes, we have come a long way, conducting has a very male past, but things are changing," Delyana says. "Ultimately, for me the most important thing is to be a good conductor. From there on: gender, origin and so on are secondary things."

Delyana says that she often meets Bulgarians in the orchestras she works with around the world. Is the brand "Bulgarian musician" still a symbol of prestige, good education and training, as we think here?

"Absolutely! Bulgarian culture and especially Bulgarian music really promotes the name of Bulgaria all over the world and this is a fact. I have the pleasure of seeing this – wherever I go, someone says: ‘Oh, you are from Bulgaria! I know Krassimira Stoyanova – an incredible talent’, or ‘I know and have played with Vesko Eschkenazy’, or with Sasho Somov, or: ‘Three months ago we performed a piece by Dobrinka Tabakova’. For me this is an extraordinary pride – that to some extent I belong to this generation of musicians who truly glorify the name of Bulgaria worldwide".

She dreams of creating a festival orchestra in Bulgaria – with Bulgarian musicians who work in our country and around the world. Does she dream of anything other than orchestras, repertoire, concerts?

"I dream of music reaching as many people as possible. Classical music can give listeners something that I think no other type of music can and I really hope more people discover its magic and understand that through culture and music we are more humane. Music can truly teach us and inspire us to be more humane."

Today Delyana Lazarova lives all over the world: Switzerland, UK, USA. We will see and hear her in Bulgaria very soon – her concert with the Sofia Philharmonic and cellist Alexander Somov is planned for October 22, 2026.