site.btaOpera Prima Raina Kabaivanska Brings World Singers for Sofia Gala on May 24

Opera prima Raina Kabaivanska brings world singers for a Sofia gala at Bulgaria Hall on May 24, New Bulgarian University (NBU) announced Monday.

Kabaivanska will present five of the brightest alumni of her international school. Under the baton of Maestro Nayden Todorov and accompanied by the Sofia Philharmonic, the audience will enjoy performances by artists who have conquered the world’s greatest stages.

Vittoria Yeo and Arsen Soghomonyan are names with established international reputation, appearing for more than a decade on the stages of La Scala, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, and Teatro Real in Madrid. Yeo performs many of the signature roles of her teacher, including Madama Butterfly. The Sydney Opera House is among the latest major venues in her career.

Armenian tenor Soghomonyan is regarded as one of the most exciting voices of our time. The concert in Sofia marks his return to Bulgaria Hall after taking part in Kabaivanska’s masterclass at NBU in 2008.

Alexandrina Mihaylova and Giuseppe Infantino are in the years of their successful debuts. Opera houses in Paris, London, Milan, Verona, Florence, Monte Carlo, Valencia, Berlin and Sofia have already applauded their talent. Mihaylova is a six-time scholarship recipient of the Raina Kabaivanska Fund at NBU, which also supports her studies at the Vecchi-Tonelli Music Institute in Modena. The young soprano has received awards including the Bulgarian National Radio’s Best Young Musician and the Ministry of Culture’s Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Culture.

Infantino is considered one of the most promising young Italian tenors, a reputation strengthened by his participation in a gala concert at the Arena di Verona marking the 90th anniversary of Luciano Pavarotti’s birth, alongside Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Francesco Meli and Andrea Bocelli.

Baia Saganelidze is among the latest discoveries of Kabaivanska’s school. The Georgian mezzo-soprano comes to Bulgaria following her recent debut at the Pavarotti-Freni Theatre in Modena.

The evening at Bulgaria Hall will feature masterpieces of the Italian repertoire with selected arias and duets from operas by Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Francesco Cilea and Pietro Mascagni. As a special gesture for the Day of Slavic Alphabet and Culture, the artists have prepared a musical surprise.

The event marks the official opening of the Sofia Music Weeks international festival, celebrates 65 years since Raina Kabaivanska’s debut at Bulgaria Hall, and takes place in the year New Bulgarian University marks its 35th anniversary.