Music Director Stilian Kirov on What’s Ahead for the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra

In Saturday’s (8/26) Bakersfield Californian, Cesareo Garasa writes, “A professional symphony orchestra, much like our very own Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, is a living embodiment—a vivid representation—of its community…. The BSO has another purpose at its core for its community: service. And in that service, its representation takes on an even greater gravity. That’s the way BSO music director and conductor Stilian Kirov sees it. ‘When you’re a music director, you have a very big mission that exceeds the music,’ Kirov said. ‘Obviously, the music is the highest priority, and we have to deliver performances of the highest class, and the orchestra and I and everybody (involved) work really hard to do that. But, also, you have to grow the orchestra to serve the community where it is and get to know the community and get an idea what the community would embrace and what the community needs. I always like to think that the orchestra should be the cultural hub of the city … This is done not only by presenting spectacular performances but by collaborating with other arts organizations … contributing to education; really trying to create programs that can give inspiration to everybody … and present performances that hopefully will be life-changing.’ ”