Bulgaria’s Consul General in Chicago Svetoslav Stankov awarded musician Prof. Blagomira Lipari an Ivan Vazov medal on behalf of Rayna Manzhukova, Director of the Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, for her significant contribution to Bulgarian art and culture around the world.

The award ceremony took place at the opening of the jubilee exhibition Irregular Time by Kina Bagovska, one of the most high-profile Bulgarian artists in Chicago and in the USA. The exhibition was inaugurated with a violin performance by Prof. Lipari – a virtuoso player and pedagogue who has dedicated her work to preserving and popularizing Bulgarian rhythms and classical music.