Delyana Lazarova introduces the World Youth Symphony Orchestra’s summer series with a June 29 performance of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 at Kresge Auditorium.
Despite the short rehearsal schedule, Lazarova is confident in the musicians' abilities, and many of them are quickly picking up on the musicality necessary to perform Rachmaninoff's longest, most challenging symphony.
"The thing I’ve been looking forward to the most are the interactions with these young musicians. It's so inspiring because, in front of your eyes, you see how they are growing as musicians," says Delyana Lazarova.
"In some ways I am lucky, because I'm the first conductor of the season and it's my task to put this orchestra together."
Lazarova recently visited IPR to discuss the upcoming concert at Kresge on Sunday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m, as well as her summer plans to conduct the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Attend the concert in person or listen to the live broadcast on Classical IPR.
Classical IPR's pre-show begins at 7:00 p.m ET; downbeat and our live broadcast starts at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Listen to the Lazarova's full interview with IPR host Christy L'Esperance by clicking "Listen" above, or read the edited transcript below.
Christy L’Esperance: It is camp season. Young musicians have filled the cabins and music is drifting across the lakes and through the trees at Interlochen. And, we are in Studio A, anticipating the first World Youth Symphony Orchestra concert of the summer 2025 season. I'm Christy L’Esperance, and joining me is conductor Delyana Lazarova. Thank you for being here Delyana.
Delyana Lazarova: Thank you for inviting me. It's so incredibly exciting to be here already.
CL: Did the time go quickly between last summer and this summer? I'm sure you were very, very busy though.
DL: It's been a very busy year, but it's always so wonderful to be back. There are so many students that are back, so we recognize each other and it's like, "okay, so we get to work together again."
CL: That's such a nice benefit. Of your second season here, there's some familiarity now. You know the area and you know some of the musicians.
DL: Absolutely. And it's a beautiful area. The weather was quite on the hot side when I arrived. But, now it's cool and pleasant. Because we are rehearsing outside, the first rehearsal yesterday was quite interesting and everyone was a little bit hot on the stage. But today, it went much better and I have to say the difference between the first rehearsal yesterday and second is incredible. The progress that these young musicians have made just within one day is so inspiring.
CL: The energy must be really great because they prepare in a very short amount of time. The concert is Sunday, the 29th, and you just have one week of rehearsals. How many rehearsals do you have in total?
DL: Well, we have two rehearsals every day, in the morning and in the afternoon. So there is really no time to forget anything and really a small amount of time for them to practice on their own. They also have sectional rehearsals as well. While I'm here with you, they are with their instructors. So, it's a team effort.
CL: This is your second summer here at Interlochen Arts Camp as a conductor. And as you anticipated your return this summer, what aspects of Interlochen life have you been looking forward to that you remember from last year?
DL: Oh, everything, I have to say the thing I’ve been looking forward to the most are the interactions with these young musicians. It's so inspiring because you see — in front of your eyes — how they are growing as musicians, as well as getting to know each other. In some ways I am lucky, because I'm the first conductor of the season and it's my task to put this orchestra together.
You see how we are becoming an orchestra already, students are starting to look up and listen around. Rehearsals are not only to learn your own part, but also to learn everybody else's part and to understand how your part fits within this whole symphonic world. It's incredible to see how quickly these young musicians are becoming an orchestra in front of my eyes.
CL: Right. They are really diving in deep right away. This first concert, it's one piece of music, right? For the entire concert?
DL: Yes.
CL: It's Rachmaninoff's “pick yourself up, dust yourself off” symphony. After the crushing reception of his first symphony, this one, the second, was very successful. Why do you think this one connects with audiences and critics so well?
DL: There are so many things to love about this symphony. And I have to say, these young musicians are already so connected and so excited to play this music. There are soaring melodies through the strings, beautiful moments in the woodwinds, amazing solos through the whole orchestra, as well as some rhythmic and dance elements, especially in the second movement. Of course there is the famous third movement, the slow movement of the symphony with the most gorgeous clarinet solo, which has inspired so many musicians.
DL: It's a favorite piece I think to us all. If you've listened to it, got a chance to play it, or conduct it, it's really difficult not to love it.
CL: And I've read that you have a special affinity to both Russian music and 20th-century music. So this fits both requirements for you. Is there a special moment for you as the conductor that just gives you goosebumps?
DL: Oh, well there are so many. Again, I have to say the third movement is really special. And in the right moment, under the right circumstances, together with the audience, it becomes a certain experience that is hard to put into words. It's a fantastic musical human experience that we can have together.
The Rachmaninoff Second Symphony is a huge milestone. It's a huge piece. It requires us to understand it not only instrumentally, but musically. What is the music, and what does the music need to tell us?
And, it's particularly difficult for young musicians, because there is a certain freedom in the music that needs to happen. Sometimes the music needs to go forward and sometimes the music needs to really pull back in order to give time for the music to speak. We are already in our second day of rehearsals, dealing with this kind of freedom, which the young musicians are picking up very quickly.
CL: Now, this symphony is in several forms. There are shortened versions as short as 30 minutes. But you're not going with the short version, are you?
DL: Oh no, absolutely not. Rachmaninoff agreed to these cuts just because he wanted to be a good colleague. So a lot of the earlier conductors cut the symphony, but Rachmaninoff himself conducted it always in its full length.He said every time, even if a measure is cut, it's like “someone cuts off a part of my heart.”
DL: The musical intelligence of these young people in front of me is just so inspiring, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how much better we can do this piece in the next few days.
CL: This requires a lot of stamina for the conductor, of course, but also for these young musicians to play a work that lasts for over an hour.
DL: Yes, it's a huge challenge, but at the same time, it's a perfect piece to be introduced early enough to these musicians because I think it'll change us all. And for most of them, they are playing this piece for the first time.
DL: I'm envious because I try to remember what it was for me when I first heard this music and what a life-changing experience it was for me. I hope in their lifetime that they perform this piece again and again. They'll always remember their first time at Interlochen when we got to play this piece for the first time and discover the beauty of it together.
CL: There might be some audience members who will hear it for the very first time sitting outdoors, listening to this orchestra.
DL: Well, I'm excited for them too. It's a piece that you want to hear for the first time and then hear it at least a hundred more times.
CL: After all the preparation is over, and you're finally on stage at concert time, what's going through your mind as you're steering this massive ship? You're communicating expressions, you're signaling cues. We can see that, but what's going on in your mind? Are there images or emotional states that come to you personally while conducting this particular symphony?
DL: A conductor always has to stay with one leg in reality, and to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and knows where we are in the music. We have to see if anyone needs help because, as you said, it's a huge ship. Everyone has completely different parts to play, and all these parts need to fit together. It's my job to bring everyone together. So, I always have one leg in reality and I’m listening as carefully as possible to absolutely everyone in the moment. And on the other side, of course, is the storytelling of the music.
DL: Most of it, I have to say, is not a thinking process. You train your instincts as a musician, and then all you can do in that moment is to trust your instincts and dive into the music. So, it's very difficult to say exactly what goes on in my head in that moment.
DL: It's a mixture of being in the moment and asking how we can build this musical moment in the most natural way. It's a lot of feeling, it's a lot of listening, and it's a lot of responding also to what the orchestra is giving. To me, it's quite a unique experience, I have to say.
CL: Very soon you'll be starting your new position as principal guest conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony, and as they begin their 90th anniversary concert season in September, you're conducting the very same Rachmaninoff symphony with them in two and a half months.
As a conductor, do you try to draw a different essence from the ensembles even though they're playing the same work? And if so, how do you characterize the different musical advantages that come from the charism of youth versus the charism of experience?
DL: I'm very much looking forward to working with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra again. Not only that, but we'll be performing the symphony at The Proms on September 10, which is a huge event and a wonderful experience for everyone to be in the beautiful Royal Albert Hall. So yes, I'm really looking forward to that. But, to answer your question, every orchestra is different, so it's a constant kind of conversation.
DL: There’s not one way that I'm going to go, and I give in to my impulses of how I see this work needs to be and needs to go. Of course, it is important to have a very strong concept. But at the same time, any good conductor should always stay open to see what the orchestra gives you. We use our impulses to build this piece together in the best possible way so this particular orchestra can sound their best.
DL: So of course there will be little differences in how much time I take in certain moments. What would be the tempo? Maybe in the slow movement I can allow myself to go, for example, much slower with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. With a youth orchestra, their heartbeat is different from the heartbeat of a grownup person, for example.
CL: Well, we're so privileged. I can hardly wait. I can't even count how many times I've gotten chills on my arms just talking to you today in anticipation of this Sunday's performance.
