On July 1, 1925, at 4:00 pm, the curtain rose at the Old Theatre in Stara Zagora for the first performance of Bulgaria's first opera company outside the capital. The choice of the local enthusiasts was "Gergana" by Maestro Georgi Atanasov. Among the leading soloists were Nichka Hadzhimisheva, Georgi Batalov, Tenyu Velev, Stefan Georgiev Daskalov, Petar Totev and Radka Profirova.

On July 1, 2025, the Stara Zagora State Opera celebrates its 100th anniversary. The first opera company outside the capital, which is the only one to have operated continuously without interruption, has planned for 2025 ten opera and ballet premieres, performances by the Children and Adolescents’ Studio for Opera and Ballet, iconic titles featuring internationally acclaimed artists, guest performances, exhibitions, television and radio broadcasts, discussion forums,etc.

The celebrations will culminate on the Stara Zagora State Opera’s birthday (July 1) with a grand opera gala at the Antique Forum Augusta Traiana. The event will open with the famous Triumphal Scene from Verdi’s Aida. A fragment from the foundational opera ''Gergana'' will transport the audience back to the days of national revival enthusiasm and the courage of those pioneers who, in 1925, dared to fulfill their romantic dream: for Stara Zagora to have its own opera company. Each segment of the gala program tells a moving story from the opera’s 100-year history.

Special guests of the gala concert will be some of Bulgaria’s golden voices: Krassimira Stoyanova, Nadia Krasteva, Kiril Manolov and Ivan Dimitrov. They will perform alongside renowned soloists from the Stara Zagora Opera, including Ofelia Hristova, Milko Mihaylov, Daniela Dyakova, Desi Stefanova, Emiliya Terzieva, Emiliya Dzhurova, Rusalina Mochukova, Simona Kodeva, Tamara Kalinkina, Teresa Brakalova, Aleksandar Krunev, Aleksandar Marulev, Boris Taskov, Valeri Turmanov, Georgi Dinev, Ivaylo Dzhurov, Ivaylo Yovchev, Ivan Kabamitov, Nikolay Motsov and Stoyan Buyukliev. Together, they will present beloved arias, duets and ensembles from operatic masterpieces that have played a defining role in the history of the Stara Zagora State Opera. 

Conducting duties will be shared by Maestro Ivaylo Krinchev, Chief Conductor of the Stara Zagora State Opera and his young colleague Viktor Krumov. The Chorus masters are Mladen Stanev and Stefania Ruseva. The jubilee gala concert will be hosted by beloved actress Silvia Lulcheva.

The photo-documentary exhibition "100 Years in 100 Frames", featuring photographs from the 100-year history of the opera, will be opened on July 1, 2025, at 7:00 pm on the southernmost alley of the Fifth of October Park. The traveling exhibition will be bilingual – in Bulgarian and English. It will accompany the opera during its tours in Bulgaria and abroad. A commemorative postage stamp titled "100 Years Stara Zagora Opera" is also being prepared and will be officially validated by the country’s Minister of Transport during the Festival of Opera and Ballet Arts.

Photos: Stara Zagora State Opera