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“Madcap” on the stage of Boris Hristov House of Culture in Plovdiv on October 1
On October 1 at 7:00 p.m., on the stage of the Boris Hristov House of Culture in Plovdiv, the State Opera Stara Zagora will celebrate World Music Day with a performance of the opera “Madcap” by Parashkev Hadjiev.
Conductor: Vladimir Boshnakov; Director: Aleksandar Mutafchiyski; Choreographer: Petya Vaneva; Chorus Masters: Mladen Stanev and Stefania Ruseva; Concertmaster: Anna Ivanova. Set design is by Ivan Tokadzhiev, costumes by Tsvetanka Petkova-Stoynova, and multimedia by Anna-Maria Tokadzhieva. The performance features soloists, chorus and orchestra of the State Opera Stara Zagora, as well as the Zagore Municipal Folklore Ensemble.
On October 1, audiences in Plovdiv and visitors to the City of the Hills will see Momchil Karayanov in the role of Iliya /Madcap/, Tania Lazarova as Zornitsa, Teodor Petkov and Neli Petkova as Mecho and Kuna, Valeri Turmanov as Bey Osman, Marin Rusinov as the Kadi, Ivaylo Dzhurov and Mihaela Berova as Radan and Radanitsa, Evgeniy Arabadjiev as Father Matey, Kostadin Yakishev and Lyubomir Petkov as the Chorbajis, and Borislav Vazhenov as the drummer.
“If I had to define the message of the opera ‘Madcap’ in one sentence, it would be: Art makes people free. I have always strived to promote the works of Bulgarian composers, both as a conductor and now as a director,” says Vladimir Boshnakov, conductor of “Madcap” and Director of the State Opera Stara Zagora.
“For me, ‘Madcap’ is one of the most distinctly Bulgarian operas, because it seems to embody the moral code of the Bulgarian people — a sense of justice, a strong bond with the community, and a sincere belief that music is part of life, not merely an ornament to it. Parashkev Hadjiev’s work is deeply connected to the melodic language of Bulgarian folklore, which speaks directly to the body and memory. Here, music does not accompany the action — it creates it.
At the heart of the story is the love between the poor guslar Iliya and Zornitsa, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. But this is not an intimate story isolated from the world around it; it is a love that believes life can be better. A love that is pure, courageous and driven toward the future.
‘Madcap’ is an opera about the moment when music ceases to be entertainment and becomes action. In a world built on fear, submission and injustice, the melodies emerging from Iliya’s gusle become a source of strength — both personal and collective. His song is not an escape from reality, but a way of rethinking it. His strength as an artist comes from the fact that his music does not lull people to sleep, but awakens them. It does not distract, but unites. It gives courage, restores dignity and creates a sense of meaning where it has been taken away.
The idea of music as a form of resistance is particularly powerful in the opera — life-affirming, infectious and unstoppable. It carries the hope for a fairer world and the courage to stand up against injustice, even when this seems impossible.
With this production, we are not seeking to recreate the past, but to provoke an encounter with our present, conveying to the audience the idea of the power of a song that refuses to remain silent. Of art that refuses to submit. Of love that gives courage. And of a people who find their voice when someone dares to sing.
Because when a song gives strength to a community, it ceases to be merely a song — it becomes destiny.”
— Aleksandar Mutafchiyski, Director
MADCAP by Parashkev Hadjiev — an opera imbued with Bulgarian melodies, a deep sense of belonging to the homeland, and reverence for art.
