[1] In 1979 he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and other American cities with Eugene Onegin (1979-1980), returning for Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1982–83) and Boris Godunov (1990).
Among operatic engagements for Covent Garden he conducted Eugene Onegin in 1979, while in Nice in November 1985 he conducted Simon Boccanegra with Wilhelmenia Fernandez and Piero Cappuccilli, returning in January 1987 for Tosca with Olivia Stapp, Nicolai Gedda and Theo Adam, and in Houston in October 1986 he conducted Boris Godunov with Nicolai Ghiaurov in the title role.
[4] He stepped in to replace Giuseppe Sinopoli to open Houston Grand Opera's first season in the Wortham Center in October 1987, conducting Verdi's Aida, starring Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo and Ghiaurov.
[1] In 1986 Tchakarov founded the Sofia Festival Orchestra with the support of prominent Bulgarian musicians.
Tchakarov was the conductor for the Maurice Béjart 1981 TV film Six personnages en quête d'un chanteur starring Ruggero Raimondi.