After last year’s jubilee edition of Apollonia and the encounters with artists who have left their artistic mark on the 40-year long history of the event, the arts festival is now turning a new page, reaching out to the big names in art of the future. All the more so that many of the university students who once took their first steps inside the church or the art gallery, or the amphitheater in Sozopol, have now earned international acclaim.

The students from the three academies of art – music, art and theatre – are in the focus of attention this year. And as the programme features over 70 different events, we shall only be able to make mention of one event for each of the festival days.

On 28 August, on the eve of the official opening, at the art gallery, works by renowned artists from the period after Bulgaria’s liberation (1878) up until the mid-20^th century, will illustrate how European movements in art have left their imprint on their works, showing the role choice plays in all aspects of our lives. On the following night the Big Band of the National Music Academy will kickstart the festival under the starry skies with a fiery repertoire of classical standards alongside contemporary vocal and instrumental pieces and works by the classics of Bulgarian pop and jazz.

“We have a crop of exceptional musicians with a conductor who is an active part of the programme – the remarkable trumpet player Mihail Yossifov who will have a concert together with his colleagues, and with the participation of Vassil Petrov and Hilda Kazasyan,” says Margarita Dimitrova, Executive Director of the Apollonia foundation. 

“And it is here that we can see the bond between a generation now grown-up, and the young people. On 30 August, students who have just graduated from the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts, from the class of Ivaylo Hristov, will be performing 12 Angry Men on the stage of the Father Paisius chitalishte (community culture club – editorial note).”

On 31 August Trio Image, who frequently perform on prestigious world stages, will present a classical repertoire. Their violinist Gergana Gergova will make her debut with the “Concert Masters” – a formation that came into being at last year’s jubilee Apollonia festival of outstanding Bulgarian musicians – at the concert by the formation on 2 September at the amphitheater in Sozopol.

Apollonia will mark the 60^th anniversary of Theatre 199 with two plays. The first of them – Switzerland – directed by Vladimir Lyutskanov, will be on 3 September at the Father Paisius chitalishte. On the following day, in the amphitheater, on the eve of what would have been Freddie Mercury’s 79^th birthday, 20 of his best loved songs will be performed by the super group The Foundation – together with the orchestra and the choir of the Plovdiv opera house. A Night at the Opera will certainly evoke a lot of emotions, memories and maybe a little bit of sadness thanks to the famous musicians.

“It should be noted that this is the first time the Foundation is organizing a masterclass and will be working with 6 people who will be singing together with the band on the las day,” adds Margarita Dimitrova. “They will be joined by another, even younger group of students from the secondary school of music in Sofia – let us hope they will be able to look forward to a future like that of their favourite musicians. So that the last day of the festival will also be dedicated to young people.”

In-between these two events there will be another one with a “mysterious” name because Veselin Veselinov-Eko and Milen Kukosharov will take us to “Journey into the world of mirror molecules”. As authors of this music, maybe they gave it such a “mystery” title to trigger the interest of the audiences, but it is going to be jazz, I am sure of that,” says Margarita Dimitrova.

For the 41^st year, the fans of the Apollonia festival will get together and feel the aura of Sozopol itself.

“That’s a lot of years, generations – they came as babies, then as children, then as young people, and now as parents,” says Margarita Dimitrova. “I am so happy we can still bring people to Sozopol at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, just before the children go back to school.”

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos: apollonia.bg, Diana Tsankova, trioimage.eu, BGNES, Facebook /Das Weltschmerz Duett, BTА, Facebook/ Apollonia art Festival, Elena Karkalanova. BNR