Opera Plovdiv Celebrates 70th anniversary

On November 15th, Opera Plovdiv will officially kick off the celebrations marking its 70th anniversary with a Gala concert. On the same date in 1953, the first opera performance took place in Plovdiv - "The Bartered Bride" by B. Smetana. The Opera will share its music, respect for its beginnings, and optimism for the meaning and future of opera with a series of performances by all artistic departments - soloists, orchestra, choir, and ballet from November 14th to 17th. Festive projects related to the anniversary will continue throughout the creative season, culminating in May 2024.

The Gala concert on November 15th will feature the special participation of artists with remarkable careers connected to the history of the Opera and the city in various periods, such as Alexandrina Pendachanska, Mariana Pencheva, Kiril Manolov, and Ivan Momirov. Three generations of current opera soloists, including Tanya Ivanova, Elena Chavdarova-Isa, Vera Girginova, Evgenia Ralcheva, Mariana Panova, Maria Anastasova, Alexander Nosikov, Georgi Sultanov, Evgeny Arabadzhiev, Mark Fowler, Momchil Karaivanov, Mikhail Pulyev, and Svilien Nikolov, will also participate. Conductors for the concert will be Dian Chobanov, Luciano Di Martino, and Grigor Palikarov. The first part of the concert is dedicated to Bulgarian art with works by composers P. Hadjiev, L. Pipkov, D. Nenov, and V. Stoyanov, while the second part includes arias, duets, and ensembles from operas by B. Smetana, G. Verdi, G. Puccini, and A. Ponchielli. The concert involves over 200 artists and employees dedicated to the opera in Plovdiv, with the participation of artists who have worked in the Opera since its establishment.

On November 14th, the soloists of the Opera Plovdiv Orchestra invite you to the concert "A Little Night Music" with conductor Dian Chobanov and sopranos Vera Girginova and Evgenia Ralcheva. The program will include pieces by Mozart, Handel, Vivaldi, Gluck, Boccherini, Delibes, Strauss, Bach, and more. Prima Krasimira Stoyanova will share her memories of working in Plovdiv in a video contribution from Vienna.

The Opera Plovdiv Choir, conducted by Dragomir Yosifov, will perform one of the most profound creations of Orthodox music - Rachmaninoff's "All-Night Vigil" on November 16th at 6:00 PM in the Metropolitan Church "St. VMCZA MARINA." The concert conveys a message about the power of Art and Spirituality. The performance is free.

In the festive week, the Ballet of Opera Plovdiv will present its premiere performance for the whole family, "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky, on November 17th, with the participation of the Opera Plovdiv Orchestra.

The chamber concert "Looking into the Future" by laureates of competitions, alumni of the National School of Music and Dance Art "Dobrin Petkov" in Plovdiv, will focus on continuity on November 16th at 7:00 PM at the House of Culture. The meeting of generations will be a roundtable discussion titled "The History and Legacy of Opera Plovdiv," moderated by Andrey Andreev, art historian and former director of the Opera, on November 17th at 2:00 PM in the Large Conference Hall at the House of Culture.

During the festive week, an exhibition containing artifacts, posters, and other materials from the history of Opera Plovdiv will be presented in the foyer of the Boris Hristov House of Culture. A timeline from the entrance to the auditorium will highlight significant events and achievements of the Opera from its inception to the present.

Numerous cultural sites in Plovdiv, including the Great Basilica, Small Basilica, Roman Stadium, Balabanov House, Gallery 2019, Kapana Gallery, Natural History Museum, Archaeological Museum, Historical Museum, Ethnographic Museum, and the Ivan Vazov National Library, will also celebrate the 70th anniversary. They will play musical performances from the archive of the Opera at designated hours, artistically marked with the slogan "Opera is Here" for one month. The initiative is carried out with the kind assistance of the Culture Department of the Municipality of Plovdiv and the "Ancient Plovdiv" Regional Office.

After the start of the celebrations in November, festive events will continue in December with the premiere of the opera "La Bohème," giving young performers the opportunity to start their careers after an international competition where over 50 artists from around the world participated. In 2024, highlights will include an Open-air Concert, a conceptual photo exhibition, and performances by international artists at Opera Open 2024.