site.btaJuly 21, 1921: Bulgarian Academy of Music Is Established

On July 21, 1921, the Bulgarian State Music Academy was established in Sofia with Tsar Boris III Royal Decree. Today known as the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music, it took over the provision of higher education to students who were being taught at the already operating Music School (private from 1904, public from 1912). 

Before the Academy’s founding, Bulgarian musicians received their training mainly abroad, studying in Vienna, Prague, Moscow, and other European cultural centres. 

The Academy began its first classes without a permanent building, using rented spaces and community centres (chitalishta) in Sofia.

In 1954, the Academy was officially named after composer Prof. Pancho Vladigerov, one of Bulgaria’s most prominent classical musicians.

Among the Academy’s first students was Rayna Katsarova, who later became a pioneer in Bulgarian ethnomusicology and contributed to the establishment of the first archives of Bulgarian folk music.

The institution houses a collection of rare and historical musical instruments, including pianos from the late 19th century and early 20th-century violins crafted by renowned European luthiers. The Academy also maintains an archive of handwritten scores, including original annotations by Vladigerov.

Notable alumni include opera singers Nicolai Ghiaurov, Ghena Dimitrova, and Raina Kabaivanska, as well as internationally recognized instrumentalists, conductors, and composers.

Today, the Academy offers programmes in classical and contemporary music, jazz, folklore, composition, and music pedagogy.