Princeton Symphony picks Milanov

Philadelphia-based conductor Rossen Milanov is now up to four orchestra positions, with his appointment this week to the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.

Best known as associate conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and music director of Camden's Symphony in C, Milanov was made music director of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra in a series of announcements that assured he would not be giving up his current commitments. He reportedly is contracted for three years with the Princeton orchestra, which marks its 30th anniversary this season. He also has an ongoing commitment to the Philadelphia Orchestra and has committed to Symphony in C through 2011.

Milanov made his guest-conducting debut with the Princeton ensemble in April 2008, when the orchestra was between music directors. Critics noted considerable chemistry between musicians and conductor, but Milanov's commitments, not just in the United States but to the New Symphony Orchestra in his native Bulgaria, suggested there was little time for more. However, the Princeton orchestra isn't full-time, and the 2009-2010 season has him conducting just two of the five concerts in Richardson Auditorium.

Those programs reflect the wide-ranging repertoire demanded of him in Philadelphia and Camden. They include Ravel's Ma Mère l'Oye, Haydn's Symphony No. 88, Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1, and Elgar's Enigma Variations.