Ivan Angelov, a conductor who has guest-performed in some of the most prestigious opera theaters, is the artistic director of the Opera Open Festival:
„We are trying to organize an event that is a follow-up of the Verdi festival, with some new highlights though. Our venue is the Roman Theater in Plovdiv, one of the emblems of the city. We have included some quite imposing shows. One of them is a two-hour version of Wagner’s Twilight of the Gods. We have invited the star of the Bayreuth Festival Elisabet Strid. The young Swedish soprano has already sung in Germany, Latvia and the United States. This will be her debut in Bulgaria. The program includes a concert commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of Boris Christoff. The guest of this event will be basso Paata Burchuladze (Georgia), a celebrity of world opera appearing in leading theaters such as the Metropolitan and La Scala. He is the first Georgian proclaimed prince by the Russian Orthodox Church while the State Opera in Stuttgart has awarded him with the title Kammersänger. Of course, we honor the tradition and present a few Verdi works. One of them is the first night of Aida featuring an international celebrity – Chinese soprano Hui He. She is on the playbill of theaters from Vienna to New York. The soprano will sing in Plovdiv on 20 July. It goes without saying, Plovdiv audiences will also enjoy a few Bulgarian singers, notably, leading baritone Vladimir Stoyanov cast as Marquis of Posa in Don Carlos. In the show of Aida Chinese Hui He’s partner on stage will be Kamen Chanev, a tenor with a successful international career. I believe that the festival will live up to the expectations of audiences. We have sold tickets across Bulgaria. As to foreigners who come to the Roman Theater in Plovdiv, they are delighted and say that this magnificent stage should be used fully. This opera festival is a great opportunity to do so."
English Daniela Konstantinova
The audio to this text features the following soundtracks:
1. Fragment from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
2. Romance of Radames from Act I of Verdi’s Aida, soloist is Kamen Chanev with the Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio, conductor Luciano di Martino
3. A duet from Act I of Don Carlos,soloists Nicola Ghiuselev and Vladimir Stoyanov
Eva Bel and Emin, stage partners who often perform together, have recently recorded their duet "I Have It All". We know Emin Al-Juneid from his participation in the national pop music competition "Burgas and the Sea", where two years ago, together..
"For four decades now, the Atlas rock band has continued to bring us their music. Their latest song, with the minimalistic title ''O-ooo!'' is dynamic, with a distinctive new-wave sound, memorable melodic line and riff. The song is the second..
Angel Prodanov Acho is almost 30 and even though he has been playing the piano and studying solfeggio since childhood, he only took up music professionally seven years ago. Since then he has had several television appearances, and in 2020 in “The..
Opera basso Slavin Peev will mark two decades on stage with famed arias from opera classics at the chamber Bulgaria hall in Sofia on 5 October. He..
The BNR Children's Choir is one of the finalists in the prestigious Let the Peoples Sing international competition for non-professional choirs. The..
Thunderstorms 
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Rain
sunshine, cloud, rain and thunder
Overcast, rain