Whenever we musicians face a great piece of music, we feel respect and fear.  The way it should be is that respect should remain and fear should be taken out of the equation.  This is what impressed me most when I met Gil Shaham on the stage in the master class he gave – his absolute lack of fear in music.  To me, this is the real interpretation.  He possesses that magical energy which inspires musicians in the orchestra to give the best they can.  When an artist of such magnitude performs two steps away from you, together with you, there is no way you can be indifferent.  And the audience felt that immediately.

I am human when I play. Music brings me life.  My best moments and experiences have been on the stage. I joined the Classic FM orchestra after a very competitive audition – only five out of more than twenty candidates were selected. There is hardly an orchestra in Bulgaria with such energy. It gives stage to young musicians to be among peers but to also perform with more experienced colleagues.  Its professionalism is very high.  Sometimes I think about leaving Bulgaria. But it is different for artists.  It is good for a young musician to spend some time abroad. The Bulgarian violin school has one style, foreign schools have different styles. It is important to be able to get different points of view and choose your own among many.

Sarah Panosyan, a violinist at the Classic FM orchestra, Sofia