site.btaThracian Awards for Classical Music to Debut at Plovdiv’s Ancient Theatre

A ceremony and winners’ concert for the first Thracian Awards for Classical Music will be held at the Ancient Theatre in Plovdiv on June 23, 2026, the team of soprano Sonya Yoncheva said on Monday.

The initiative aims to popularize Thrace as a cradle of civilization and will be filmed for broadcast on medici.tv, with Yoncheva serving as artistic director and among the performers.

The organizers noted that Plovdiv, Yoncheva’s hometown and a center of outstanding cultural heritage, is considered Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city and, to date, Bulgaria’s only European Capital of Culture. They added that the myth of the legendary bard Orpheus is tied to the ancient lands of the Thracians and that Orpheus is a global symbol of vocal artistry and musicianship, an inspiration they cited as the driving force behind the creation of the Thracian Awards for Classical Music.

“My goal is to showcase to the world the deep roots of our culture, our most deserving artists, and our country’s rightful place alongside the great benchmarks of the classical tradition worldwide. This initiative is the culmination of my long-standing work on the Sofia Gala, the Bulgarian Artist magazine, and other formats through which my partners and I seek to build bridges across eras, genres, and communities in Bulgaria and around the world,” Yoncheva said. She is the event’s artistic director and will also be among the performers at the gala concert.

The awards are expected to be presented annually and to recognize laureates in the following categories: Debut of the Year, Young Artist of the Year, Instrumental Soloist of the Year, Ballet Artist of the Year, Male Singer of the Year, Female Singer of the Year, Director of the Year, Composer of the Year, Production of the Year, Opera House of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement in Classical Art.

“It is a true source of pride for the Plovdiv Opera to stand alongside Sonya Yoncheva, our fellow citizen who has conquered the world’s greatest stages. When an artist of her stature remembers her roots and lends her authority to her hometown, it inspires all of us. I believe that with this ceremony we are not only opening the 13th edition of the festival in dazzling fashion, but also further establishing it as an international platform where Bulgarian and international artists meet at the highest level,” said Dian Chobanov, director of the State Opera in Plovdiv, who will conduct the gala concert.

The organizers said the ceremony will be filmed and broadcast on medici.tv.