site.btaRay Charles Tribute Show to Be Held in Stara Zagora

Saxophonist Dimitar Liolev and jazz singer Petar Salchev will present Ray On My Mind Symphony, a tribute show for the great American singer and pianist Ray Charles, which will be staged at the Outdoor Theatre in Stara Zagora on June 10, the local State Opera House (SZSOH) reported on Monday.

The SZSOH Orchestra and the Stara Zagora Military Big Band will take part in the concert.

“Ray Charles has been a part of my life ever since I was a child, when my parents listened to his music all the time,” Liolev says, as quoted by the SZSOH press office.

Ray On My Mind Symphony is a follow-up to a project by American musician Craig Bailey, which was presented in Stara Zagora in July 2024 and toured other venues in Bulgaria.

The music for the upcoming concert was specially arranged for symphony orchestra by Bailey, a longtime soloist of Ray Charles’ band. The concert will feature some of the soul-and-blues legend’s unforgettable hits, which have made him an icon of American and world culture, SZSOH said.