‘There is no course on how to lead an orchestra!’ - Vesko Eschkenazy’s life lessons

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When I was growing up in Bulgaria, the two most important things were music and sports. If you succeeded in one or the other, you were set for life. My grandmother stressed the importance of music and encouraged me, my brother and two of my cousins to play the violin, which she said was the most beautiful instrument of all. When I was four, my parents – who were both professional musicians – enrolled my brother and me at a specialist music school in Sofia, from which I graduated when I was 18…