Plovdiv Music and Dance School Signs Media Partnership with BTA

Veneta Litkova, BTA Correspondent Ani Mihaylova

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev (right) and Neli Popova-Koeva, Principal of the National School for Music and Dance, Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria, February 9, 2026 (BTA Photo/Boyan Botev)

Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria,

09.02.2026 21:24

(BTA)

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The National School for Music and Dance (NSMD) in Plovdiv and the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) signed a media partnership agreement Monday. BTA Director General Kiril Valchev and the school’s Principal Neli Popova-Koeva signed the agreement at the school.

Valchev said that on the eve of NSMD’s patron day, BTA is expanding its network of partners to include a school with a long-standing tradition of more than 80 years.

“Tomorrow’s patron day, February 10, is a good occasion for this,” Valchev said. He added that, after reaching agreements with all 51 Bulgarian universities, BTA now aims to conclude similar partnerships with the country’s flagship secondary schools, promoting vocational education through the systematic provision of information.

Valchev listed universities offering music programmes, including Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo University St Cyril and St Methodius, Burgas Free University Prof. Dr Asen Zlatarov, Southwest University Neofit Rilski, Shumen University Bishop Konstantin Preslavski, and New Bulgarian University.

“We already have agreements with all of them to ensure systematic coverage,” Valchev said. He noted that in the secondary education sector, BTA currently has partnerships with the National Music School Lyubomir Pipkov, the National Professional High School of Printing and Photography, Sofia Theological Seminary St Ivan Rilski, the Aprilov National High School, the National High School of Ancient Languages and Cultures St Cyril the Philosopher, and the French School Victor Hugo.

Valchev said that ten years ago, BTA published between one and six reports per year about NSMD. Following the establishment of BTA’s specialized LIK Directorate, the number of reports increased to 25 in 2025. Since 2022, information has also appeared in BTA’s English-language news feed.

“Our mutual goal now will be to provide information more systematically and to showcase the cultural and artistic achievements of Bulgaria through the students of such schools,” Valchev said.

Director Popova-Koeva thanked BTA for choosing their school, highlighting plans to create a school museum on the renovated fourth floor to preserve publications, photos and archives. She added that it is commendable that young people and their achievements will be presented and reach a wider audience both locally and internationally.

Valchev presented Popova-Koeva with a 1963 photograph of the school’s patron, Dobrin Petkov, copies of the earliest news in BTA’s archives from May 16, 1970 marking the 25th anniversary of the Plovdiv Music School, and issues of the LIK magazine dedicated to Bulgarian musicians including Pancho Vladigerov, Boris Christoff, Lili Ivanova, the Kazasyan family, the band Shturcite, and the Foundation, among others.

/NZ/