Easter Concert with Lia Petrova and Simos Papanas at Plovdiv Opera

Easter Concert with Lia Petrova and Simos Papanas at Plovdiv Opera

The orchestra of Plovdiv Opera presents its Easter Concert on April 15 at 7:00 PM. The evening will feature two exceptional guest soloists – renowned violinist Lia Petrova and Simos Papanas, concertmaster and artistic director of the State Symphony Orchestra of Thessaloniki. Under the baton of Maestro Dian Tchobanov, the Holy Week program will highlight three works by Johann Sebastian Bach:

• Concerto for Two Violins in D minor – one of the most beloved masterpieces of the Baroque genius;

• Reconstructed Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor – a transcription of a harpsichord concerto from 1738;

• The aria “Erbarme Dich” (“Have Mercy”) from the St. Matthew Passion, performed by mezzo-soprano Maria Radoeva.

The Easter concert will also feature “The Lark Ascending” by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams – an iconic piece inspired by the poem of the same name by George Meredith. The BBC has described the work as “a piece for all time.” It will be performed by Lia Petrova on her 1742 Guarneri del Gesù violin, a historically significant instrument with an extraordinary sound.

Lia Petrova has established herself as one of the brightest names on the international music scene since winning First Prize at the prestigious Carl Nielsen Competition in Denmark in 2016. Since then, her career has flourished with artistic triumphs and captivating collaborations with leading orchestras and conductors worldwide – from Paris and Luxembourg to Antwerp and Brussels, her performances continue to enchant and inspire audiences.

Simos Papanas is an acclaimed Greek violinist, conductor, and composer. He has performed as a soloist with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including Staatskapelle Dresden, the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Geneva Camerata, Prague Symphony Orchestra, the State Orchestra of Athens, the Sofia Philharmonic, Sofia Soloists, and the Munich Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Tickets for the Easter Concert are available at the Plovdiv Opera box office, at Eventim box offices, and online at eventim.bg and grabo.bg.