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Orpheus' Comet
Dobrinka Tabakova

Dobrinka Tabakova was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and has lived in London since 1991, graduating from the Guildhall School of Music, and obtaining a PhD from King’s College London. The Washington Times described her music as being “exciting, deeply moving,” while The Strad wrote of her ‘glowing tonal harmonies and grand, sweeping gestures [which] convey a huge emotional depth.” She has been commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society, BBC Radio 3 and the European Broadcasting Union and was appointed composer in residence with the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2017 and the Halle Orchestra for the 2022/23 season. Her debut profile album String Paths, on ECM Records, was nominated for a Grammy in 2014. Her second album on ECM was released in September 2025. Her music is performed throughout the world, and she has received numerous commissions. Composed in 2017, Orpheus’ Comet was inspired by one telling of the myth about the Thracian singer, and by the fanfare-like “Toccata” from Claudio Monteverdi’s 1607 opera, L’Orfeo. It was first performed on 27 November 2017 at LSO St Luke’s, London by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Johannes Wildner. The work is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, three trombones, percussion, and strings.

In her liner notes for the 2023 recording of Orpheus’ Comet, Tabakova states that it “was the first official piece written during my residency with the BBC Concert Orchestra.” She continues, “Commissioned by both the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union, it was written for the 50th anniversary of the regular Music Exchanges and the opening of Monteverdi’s opera L’Orfeo – the signature melody of Euroradio – was at the heart of the concept for the work. It is a regal, upbeat opening – exactly what you would wish from a fanfare – and in my reimagining, it becomes the culmination of tribute to Euroradio. In my research for Orpheus’ Comet, I came across one of the earliest mentions of the Orpheus legend, which is found in Book IV of Virgil’s Georgics. Essentially these are books about agriculture but, the fourth book begins with a detailed study on the life of bees. The final chapter then turns to the legend of Orpheus and tells of Aristaeus (a shepherd and bee-keeper) who chased Euridice, causing her to trip, be bitten by a serpent and ultimately die. As the piece began to take shape, it was the buzzing bees that left a strong impression on me and transformed into musical material. At the very opening of the piece, the buzzing begins in the horns, gradually evolving into nebulous chord clusters and accent sparks that pass around the rest of the orchestra. This dialogue continues until a solemn chorale appears out of the busy texture. The chorale is taken up by the strings and grows to include the buzzing ideas, which are transformed [in]to almost hypnotic rhythmic loops. A soaring melody in the flute and clarinet hovers above as momentum starts to build. Trombones underpin this build-up and prepare for the finale, and the arrival of Monteverdi’s theme, with a modern twist.”


Program Note by David B. Levy, ©2026

Orpheus' Comet
Dobrinka Tabakova

Dobrinka Tabakova was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and has lived in London since 1991, graduating from the Guildhall School of Music, and obtaining a PhD from King’s College London. The Washington Times described her music as being “exciting, deeply moving,” while The Strad wrote of her ‘glowing tonal harmonies and grand, sweeping gestures [which] convey a huge emotional depth.” She has been commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society, BBC Radio 3 and the European Broadcasting Union and was appointed composer in residence with the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2017 and the Halle Orchestra for the 2022/23 season. Her debut profile album String Paths, on ECM Records, was nominated for a Grammy in 2014. Her second album on ECM was released in September 2025. Her music is performed throughout the world, and she has received numerous commissions. Composed in 2017, Orpheus’ Comet was inspired by one telling of the myth about the Thracian singer, and by the fanfare-like “Toccata” from Claudio Monteverdi’s 1607 opera, L’Orfeo. It was first performed on 27 November 2017 at LSO St Luke’s, London by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Johannes Wildner. The work is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, three trombones, percussion, and strings.

In her liner notes for the 2023 recording of Orpheus’ Comet, Tabakova states that it “was the first official piece written during my residency with the BBC Concert Orchestra.” She continues, “Commissioned by both the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union, it was written for the 50th anniversary of the regular Music Exchanges and the opening of Monteverdi’s opera L’Orfeo – the signature melody of Euroradio – was at the heart of the concept for the work. It is a regal, upbeat opening – exactly what you would wish from a fanfare – and in my reimagining, it becomes the culmination of tribute to Euroradio. In my research for Orpheus’ Comet, I came across one of the earliest mentions of the Orpheus legend, which is found in Book IV of Virgil’s Georgics. Essentially these are books about agriculture but, the fourth book begins with a detailed study on the life of bees. The final chapter then turns to the legend of Orpheus and tells of Aristaeus (a shepherd and bee-keeper) who chased Euridice, causing her to trip, be bitten by a serpent and ultimately die. As the piece began to take shape, it was the buzzing bees that left a strong impression on me and transformed into musical material. At the very opening of the piece, the buzzing begins in the horns, gradually evolving into nebulous chord clusters and accent sparks that pass around the rest of the orchestra. This dialogue continues until a solemn chorale appears out of the busy texture. The chorale is taken up by the strings and grows to include the buzzing ideas, which are transformed [in]to almost hypnotic rhythmic loops. A soaring melody in the flute and clarinet hovers above as momentum starts to build. Trombones underpin this build-up and prepare for the finale, and the arrival of Monteverdi’s theme, with a modern twist.”


Program Note by David B. Levy, ©2026