The concert titled “FIESTA – The Joy of Music Making” is among the events that the Bulgarian National Radio Children’s Choir, conducted by Venetsia Karamanova, dedicates to its 65th anniversary.

On October 23, in Hall 3 of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, we are to witness a true Latin fiesta, where the young singers will celebrate together with renowned guest soloists: Quito Gato (Argentina) – guitar and piano, Ina Kancheva – soprano, Vassilena Serafimova – marimba, Dimitar Karamfilov – double bass, Stoyan Karaivanov – bandoneon and Ventsislav Radev – percussion. Joining them on stage will be the musicians of the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hristo Pavlov.

In addition to the outstanding soloists, the program stands out with its selection of music from Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, Cuba, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina and other Latin American countries. The concert will also feature seven works specially arranged by Quito Gato for this choir. 

''This program is quite unusual for us – we stepped out of the comfortable shoes of classical music and put on some very colorful, very beautiful tunes that the children embraced with delight. It has been a challenge for us, because the rhythm and the large amount of text we had to learn were difficult. But we had time. About a year ago, Ina Kancheva introduced Maestro Quito Gato to us. He played for us, we sang for him, and we liked each other. So we decided that such a concert could be made. It goes beyond our traditional way of making music on stage, but that’s exactly what makes it wonderful– that in this season, as we celebrate 65 years since the founding of the Bulgarian National Radio Children’s Choir, we are sending this joyful greeting to our friends”, Maestra Venetsia Karamanova told Radio Bulgaria.  

''This project is truly inclusive. It conveys that there are no differences between cultures or peoples – there is only one common foundation for unity, and that is art and music. That is why this incredible ensemble of the Bulgarian National Radio has the opportunity to appeal to society to open up the boundaries of relationships and dialogue – both cultural and intercultural dialogue. The children are true ambassadors of these ideas'', added Ina Kancheva.

Since the arrangements that Quito Gato made for the concert are filled with polyrhythms, we have selected a very interesting piece from the rich repertoire of the Bulgarian National Radio Children’s Choir for you – “Oi, Elize.” As the title suggests, it is based on music by Beethoven, but Antoni Donchev creates variations on the well-known theme, incorporating typical Bulgarian uneven rhythms and even a tupan drum. The soloists are Kalina Yancheva (piano), Antoniya Mircheva (flute) and Demetra Grigorova (marimba and tupan).