site.btaChisinau's Koledari Folk Ensemble Wins First Place at Municipal Festival for Third Year Running

The Koledari folk ensemble from the Vasil Levski Bulgarian Theoretical Lyceum in Chisinau has won first place at the municipal stage of Live and Flourish, the winter customs and traditions festival-competition, for the third consecutive year. Koledari are traditional Bulgarian carol singers, children and youth who perform festive songs and rituals during the Christmas season to bring good fortune. The group is led by musician Kiril Kirilov, a teacher seconded from Bulgaria.

The ensemble's 13-minute programme featured Christmas greetings and songs from southern Moldova, including the Taraclia and Valea Perjei regions, as well as folk works from various regions of Bulgaria and Moldovan Christmas songs. The group first won the district-level competition in Riscani and then repeated its success at the city-wide stage, competing against 30 schools at the Onisifor Ghibu Musical Lyceum.

Kirilov said the ensemble included eight students from grades two to four, four fifth-graders, one ninth-grade student and one tenth-grade student. He thanked the school administration, parents and the jury for their support.

Founded in 1996, the Vasil Levski Lyceum educates over 300 children and employs four teachers seconded from Bulgaria. The school is considered a symbol of preserving the language, traditions and cultural heritage of Bulgarians living abroad.

The festival, organized by Chisinau's General Directorate of Education since 1992, aims to foster children's appreciation of customs, promote traditional clothing and winter ritual artefacts, and develop the performance skills of folk ensembles.