Irene Markoff is a professor of music at York University in Toronto, Canada, where she was born. She is the founder and head of a Bulgarian folk songs choir "Ot Izvora” and the band “Meden Glas” (Sweet Voice), which performs Bulgarian and Balkan folklore.

“I am a Bulgarian by nationality. My mother is from the Western Outlands, from Bosilegrad. Later the family settled in Kyustendil. They arrived in Canada in 1929, and my father was from North Bulgaria. When I was young, Bulgarians were constantly gathering at home, there were always people dancing and singing. I grew up with Bulgarian folk music and even participated in an ensemble for Bulgarian folk dances. This music was a very important part of my family's life. I first studied at the University of Toronto, then decided to study in Bulgaria. The last time I came to Bulgaria was two years ago for a conference. I always like to be there because I have relatives and this gives me the opportunity to do more research and see old friends. Bulgaria is my second home country.”

Prof. Irene Markoff told us more about her love towards Bulgarian folk music:

“I studied in Bulgaria under great folklorist Prof. Stoyan Dzhudzhev at the National Academy of Music and defended a thesis on the music of the Pirin region. Academician Nikolay Kauffman then invited me to work at the Institute of Music at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. I gathered many songs during the time I spent in Bulgaria and learned a lot about Bulgarian folklore. Later I defended a PhD thesis in the USA and I had the opportunity to participate in a Croatian female choir and to learn Croatian at City University of Seattle. My dissertation was on Turkish folk music.

We founded the ‘Meden Glas’ back in 2014. The other participants were my students, whom I taught Balkan singing. I chose the name as meden means both ‘sweet’ and ‘copper’ and voices in the  songs are very different, depending on the style. For the repertoire we select songs I know from my studies. In addition to Bulgarian, we also perform Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Bosnian, Greek, Turkish, sometimes Kurdish and Iranian songs. Our band includes Ekaterina Pyatkova – a Russian from Kazakhstan, Mario Morello – an Italian, Nadia Younan, who is of Italian and Assyrian origin, and Jamieson Eakin is a Hindu. They love Bulgarian folk songs very much.”

A concert of the choir for Bulgarian folk songs "Ot Izvora" will take place on December 16 in the Church of St. Demetrius, near Toronto.

“We are to perform a wedding song from the Pirin region because many Bulgarian weddings take place in the winter. As we enter, we will be performing a song from the Shoppe region and maybe another song from the Pirin region, with me playing the tambura. We wanted the music of this concert to be more vibrant and festive.”

Prof. Markova did not hide her satisfaction with the audience of "Meden Glas" and "Ot Izvora":

When we are singing in front of Bulgarians, they are always very pleased. We sing for both Bulgarians and Canadians, who also like this music. A month ago there was a folk festival in the framework of the Bulgarian Cultural Days in Ottawa. It was our second participation with ‘Meden Glas’ and the audience was fascinated. Canadians love Bulgarian and Balkan music.

And here is the festive greeting of Prof. Irina Markova from distant Canada: “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone in Bulgaria! Celebrate, have joy, love each other, and let all your wishes come true.”

English: Alexander Markov