Exhibitions
Publication публикувана на: 24.09.2025
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DIMITAR DIMITROV
(1929–1999)
Born in Kyustendil (5 July 1929), he lived in Stara Zagora from the age of nine with his uncle Georgi Stoyanov (concertmaster and twice director of the Opera, 1933, 1956–1958). As a schoolboy, Dimitar Dimitrov played the violin in the orchestra. He graduated from the Music Academy in the choral conducting class of Dimitar Ruskov and in orchestral conducting under Vasil Stefanov. From 1959, for 40 seasons, he was a conductor at the Stara Zagora Opera — principal conductor, artistic director, and director. Under his leadership the company’s repertoire became more diverse and richer, and performers were trained who could measure up to numerous guest artists from Bulgaria and abroad. On our opera stage a whole pleiad of the most gifted singers appeared.
During his time, in 1967, the December Music Days were founded, which later (in 1974) grew into the Festival of Opera and Ballet Art. The festival, initially an event of regional importance, thanks to Dimitar Dimitrov became an incentive for Bulgaria’s national opera performance art and creativity and turned into one of the city’s emblems.
Throughout his life Dimitar Dimitrov remained deeply connected with Stara Zagora, where his artistic profile was formed — an exceptionally rare phenomenon among the great musicians, among whom, unquestionably, his contribution places him in a prominent position in Bulgarian musical culture. His life’s path is an example of creating and preserving traditions.
70 YEARS BALLET TROUPE OF THE STARA ZAGORA
The first choreographer with specialized education in the troupe of the Stara Zagora Opera is Anna Vorobyova. Also, under her guidance was the first ballet production in the repertoire of the theater “The Fairy Doll” by Bayer (1949). In the period 1952 – 1955, Asen Manolov staged “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”, “The Rivals”, “Invitation to the Dance”, and “Bolero”. A little later Teodorina Stoycheva staged the ballet “Kardzhalii” by Ivan Dimov. The creative participation of Nedelcho Izov led to an increase in the participants of the troupe for the needs of the new modern building of the Opera (1971). From this period are the productions of “Coppelia” (1971) by Dimitar Tsenov, “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” by Boris Asafyev (1972) – graduation work of Margarita Arnaudova, who also staged “The Creation of the World” (1974). Among the guest-choreographers, the Georgian artist and ballet master Vakhtang Chabukaiani stands out, who staged “Laurencia” (1976) and “Don Quixote” (1984). The director of the Ballet of the Berlin Television, Gerhard Petzold, directed the efforts to the modern dance jazz-dance technique. Under his guidance were the three ballet miniatures “Rhapsody in Blue”, “Bolero” and “Sailors on the Shore” (1987). The Ballet troupe was consulted by Igor Chernyshev from the Opera Theater in Kuybishev (nowadays Samara), who staged the ballet “Angara” (1987) by the contemporary Russian composer Andrei Eshpai to the libretto by Yury Grigorovich. Penka Filipova (1996 – 2003) directed the repertoire to the modern musical styles. Alida Boneva (2003 – 2016) added to the troupe young performers from the ballet schools in the city and from the newly-formed ballet class at the “Hr. Morfova” National School for Musical and Performing Arts. During this period there stand out the productions of “The Magical World of Scheherazade” (2004), “Bolero” (2006), and “Cinderella” (2016) an adaptation to “The Nutcracker” (2009) by guest-producer Boryana Sechanova. With the appointment of Silviya Tomova as an artistic director of the Stara Zagora Ballet (2016), a talented and highly motivated multinational troupe was formed with ballet dancers from Japan, Taiwan, Canada, France, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Albania. The repertoire was enriched with titles from different dance and music styles “La Giara” (2016), “Romeo and Juliet” and “Flight to Light”, “Swan Lake”, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (2017); “Winter Ballet Fairy Tale”, „La Boutique fantasque”, “Fire Dancer”, “Don Quixote” (2018), “The Nutcracker”, “Ghetto”, “Antigone”, the modern dance miniatures “Lotus”, “Dance at Dawn”, “Next One” (2019).
ALEKSANDAR YOSSIFOV
(1940–2016)
Aleksandar Yossifov was born on 12 August 1940 in Sofia into a family of musicians. His father, the composer and conductor Yossif Yossifov, was among the founders of the Stara Zagora and Varna Operas, and his uncle, Iliya Yossifov, was one of the great Bulgarian tenors of the 1940s and 1950s and later a respected vocal pedagogue.
He graduated in piano from the “Dobri Hristov” Music School in Varna. During his service in the Navy, he composed and dedicated a song to the world’s first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, personally presenting it to him during his visit to Bulgaria. The original of this song is preserved in the Museum of Cosmonautics in Russia.
He continued his education at the National Music Academy in Sofia, studying composition under Prof. Pancho Vladigerov, opera and symphonic conducting under Prof. Konstantin Iliev, and piano under Prof. Zheni Kovacheva.
KAMEN CHANEV
(27 August 1964 – 26 November 2020)
Opera singer, tenor
Born in Sliven, he graduated from the “Zahari Stoyanov” French Language High School in his hometown. He sang in the children’s choir “Druzhna Pesen,” led by Metodi Grigorov, and later in the mixed choir “Dobri Chintulov.” His first vocal lessons were with Prof. Sima Ivanova, with whom he continued to work after being admitted to the National Music Academy “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov.” After his first year, he transferred to the class of Konstantsa Vachkova.
He specialized in Rome at the Boris Christoff Academy, working with Alexandrina Milcheva. He was a laureate of the “Jussi Björling” competition in Sweden.
From 1992, for five seasons, he was a soloist with the Sofia Opera. From 1997, he spent two years in Prague, after which he performed with great success on the world’s most prestigious stages: Arena di Verona, the opera houses of Vienna, Rome, Venice, Berlin, Munich, and others.
In Bulgaria, besides Sofia, he appeared in all opera theatres, but Plovdiv and Stara Zagora held a special place for him. Just days after his debut as Otello, on 6 November 2020, he was tragically struck down by COVID-19. He rests forever there, buried in the courtyard of the Cathedral Church “St. Dimitar.”