This week, Rossen Milanov returns to the podium of the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra with a program of sumptuous French works. The concert begins with Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso and Debussy’s La Mer, followed by Chausson’s Poème de l’amour et de la mer. Soprano Rie Hamada is featured in Chausson’s song cycle, which is set to poetry by Maurice Bouchor.
The program concludes with Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2. The French repertoire has factored heavily into the Bulgarian conductor’s 2013-14 season; of his account of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune was recently praised by the Vancouver Observer for its “dream-like fashion… His style of conducting was not one that VSO members usually witness. It was very bold and vibrant, filled with imagination. Milanov is a truly gifted musician and his passion for music was evident through his boundless energy and mindfulness throughout the concert.”