Program director Beverly Ervine and I are soon to leave for the Southern Theater, where a press conference will announce the appointment of Rossen Milanov as the new Music Director of the Columbus Symphony. It's the third such press conference that's been called in the last 10 years. The Columbus Symphony has no trouble in attracting top flight talent. The challenge is getting said talent to stick around. Milanov, no relation to the fabled soprano Zinka Milanov, made a strong impression locally conducting CSO concerts last spring. In rehearsal the maestro was self-confident, quiet, intense and clearly in love with music. Off stage I found him to be charming and gregarious, smart and just naughty enough to make him a great interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsimOAD4KyE Milanov, 49, was born in Bulgaria. He is presently Music Director of Orchestras in Princeton, N.J. and in Spain. He also convenes a training orchestra called Symphony in C. Rossen Milanov is no stranger to the bread and butter orchestral repertoire, but he likes new music and has a lot of experience conducting opera, most recently in Spain and Berlin. An openly gay man, Rossen Milanov promises to make Columbus his permanent home base. He's buying a house, and he and his partner will be here for good in 2015. CAPA CEO and President Bill Conner and Mr Milanov join me for All Sides Weekend, Friday September 12 at 11 a.m. on 89-7 NPR News, streaming on the web at wosu.org/allsides And away we go!
Christopher Purdy is Classical 101's early morning host, 7-10 a.m. weekdays. He is host and producer of Front Row Center – Classical 101’s weekly celebration of Opera and more – as well as Music in Mid-Ohio, Concerts at Ohio State, and the Columbus Symphony broadcast series. He is the regular pre-concert speaker for Columbus Symphony performances in the Ohio Theater.