Pancho Vladigerov (1899-1978) is considered by many to be the most influential composer that Bulgaria has yet produced, gaining fame between the World Wars and earning the admiration of Shostakovich. The three works recorded here are a testament to Vladigerov’s mission to bring Bulgarian music to international attention, successfully combining elements of folk music with European classical tradition. The Vardar Rhapsody has been called ‘the Bulgarian equivalent of Chopin’s Polonaise in A’, and the lively and exotic Seven Symphonic Bulgarian Dances is among the most notable of a series of works that fuse joyous regional melodies with sophisticated Western orchestration.

Despite being one of the most decorated composers of his generation, Pancho Vladigerov is still barely known outside Bulgaria, his music being found here and there on recital recordings of music by Balkan composers.