The Festival of Opera and Ballet Art welcomed its first spectators in Stara Zagora
News публикувана на: 22.11.2024
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Deputy Mayor Milena Zheleva: We are looking forward to days full of wonderful experiences and a very strong programme. Stara Zagora Municipality has always supported and will continue to support the festival
The stage of the Stara Zagora Opera House is once again hosting the 54th edition of the Festival of Opera and Ballet Art (FOBI). Yesterday, the spotlight was turned to the long-awaited event, which was officially opened at 7 p.m. by the Deputy Mayor of Stara Zagora Milena Zheleva, the Director of the State Opera - Stara Zagora Ognyan Draganov and the artistic director and choreographer of the ballet Sylvia Tomova.
FOBI is organized by the State Opera - Stara Zagora, with the support of the Culture Programme of the Municipality of Stara Zagora and the Ministry of Culture.
From the glamorous stage Milena Zheleva thanked the whole team behind the organization of the festival. She said that the organization started several years before tonight , in order to have quality, in order to have emotion, in order for everyone to enjoy the performances and accompanying programs during the festival days.
"The Stara Zagora Opera is the main organizer of FOBI for the 54th time with the support of the Stara Zagora Municipality, the Ministry of Culture and all the people and institutions that have been behind it over the years. We are looking forward to days full of wonderful experiences and a very strong program. Stara Zagora Municipality has always supported and will continue to support the festival. Good luck to all artists and to FOBI!", welcomed the audience Deputy Mayor Milena Zheleva. She surprised the director of the Stara Zagora Opera House with a gift, a bronze sculpture "Orpheus" by the sculptor Vanyo Kolev, on the occasion of its round anniversary - on behalf of Mayor Zhivko Todorov with thanks for his contribution to the Opera House and to Stara Zagora.
Ognyan Draganov thanked for the gesture and the audience for always filling the hall. "Each one of us carries a piece in his genetic code from this very atmosphere - from ours, the Stara Zagora Opera", said the director. He stressed that FOBI is a major event for Bulgarian opera and ballet culture and thanks to the Stara Zagora Municipality and the Ministry of Culture this festival has existed over the years. "It gives direction in this labyrinth of musical events to which we are all subjected - to our, true, beloved opera and ballet creativity. The festival is a responsibility to what we have to pass on into the future. The future is youth, and that is why tonight you will see some young people on stage who carry the direction of our art," the director added.
Artistic Director Sylvia Tomova wished good luck to all the collectives included in the festival programme, to the incredible spectacle, to the world premiere of the first production directed by Michal Znaniecki and his team, to the choir, ballet and orchestra of the Stara Zagora Opera, to all those who create FOBI.
At the end of the official opening a congratulatory address was read out by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev. "We express our sincere gratitude to the organizers and to all of you who steadfastly continue this tradition and provide the audience with a rich program of operatic masterpieces and ballet grace. It is the festival in Stara Zagora that is one of the well-established events on Bulgarian soil, which remind us of the meaning, beauty and inspiration contained in our native and European cultural heritage", read part of the welcome message.
Congratulatory addresses for the opening of the festival were also received from the Minister of Culture Naiden Todorov, the Governor of Stara Zagora Metodi Markov, the Public Mediator of Stara Zagora Ivanka Sotirova, the Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet acad. prof. Plamen Kartalov and the State Opera - Plovdiv.
After the official part, the festival premiere of "Gianni Schicchi" and "La Samodivita" by Giacomo Puccini was greeted with loud applause. The audience enjoyed impressive visual effects and magical music accompanied by maestro Vladimir Kiradjiev.
The Festival of Opera and Ballet Art continues until 4 December 2024 with a varied and rich accompanying programme.
PRESS CENTRE OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF STARA ZAGORA
