Among the few Bulgarian conductors with a high-profile international career, Emil Tabakov is also noted as a composer. He has written ten symphonies as well as a variety of concertos, chamber music, and choral works. In 1985, Tabakov began conducting the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra; he was named principal conductor in 1987. Tabakov's association with the Sofia Philharmonic resulted in several recordings, including a complete cycle of Mahler's symphonies. In 2002, he was music director of the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, and from 2008 to 2015, he served as principal conductor of the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra. He led the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony in several recordings of his symphonies on the Toccata Classics label. In 2022, he led the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in a recording of works by Scriabin and Rimsky-Korsakov, featuring pianist Jean-Philippe Collard.