site.btaVarna Summer International Music Festival to Send Strong Messages of Friendship, Harmony in 2025

This year's edition of Varna Summer International Music Festival will send strong messages of friendship and harmony in 2025, Artistic Director Mario Hossen told a news conference about the 2025 edition here on Friday. The Festival will open on June 21.

Also participating in the news conference were Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, Deputy Mayor Pavel Popov, and Culture and Spiritual Development Directorate head Desislava Georgieva.

On the 2025 programme is the first-ever concert in Bulgaria of the Youth Orchestra of Ukraine, with over 60 people to rehearse in Varna for five days before their performance on September 1 under the baton of Oksana Lyniv. Hossen described her as the first female conductor of the Municipal Theatre of Bologna and the first woman in the hall of fame of the Bayreuth Festival. In his words, this concert will prove that one of the oldest classical music festivals in the world is a unifying centre. "Artists have the mission to be cultural ambassadors who influence the individuals taking the difficult decisions about society's future," he added.

The 2025 edition of Varna Summer will be closed with a symphony concert on September 12. Joseph Haydn's Seasons will be performed with a Romanian choir and a festival orchestra with musicians from 14 EU Member States, as well as soloists nominated by Krassimira Stoyanova. This piece is rarely performed due to its big size, Hossen specified.

Also on the final day of the Festival, violinist Svetlin Roussev will have a double recital. The concert is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Prof. Mincho Minchev. Roussev will perform all the Paganini’s Capriccios for solo violin, followed by Isaye’s Sonatas for solo violin.

Varna Summer will open on June 21 with a concert of the Varna State Opera Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Emil Tabakov and with soloist Victor Teodosiev (French horn), who Hossen described as an exceptional young musician with a serious international career at the age of 18. They will perform music by Strauss and Pancho Vladigerov.

Emblematic soloists will perform on the stages in Varna, including Mario Hossen (violin), Candida Thompson (viola), and Harriet Crijgh (cello) as part of a concert dedicated to the Polish EU Council Presidency on June 27.

The Romanian National Symphony Orchestra will play on June 30 under the baton of Cristian Mandeal, with soloists Svetlana Makarova (violin), Liliana Kehayova (cello), and Itamar Golan (piano).

Jan Bjoranger will be in Bulgaria for the first time to present Scandinavian Baroque in Varna with the 1B1 Scandinavian Ensemble. The concert will take place on September 11 with soloist Lars Anders Tomter (viola).

A gala concert of Cantus Firmus orchestra with young performers selected via competition in Vienna, will be held on the occasion of Strauss' 200th birth anniversary. The 150th birth anniversary of Fritz Kreisler will be marked with a performance by Fritz Kreisler Ensemble from Vienna, with the special participation of Bulgarian pianist Dora Deliyska. Another 150th birth anniversary, of Lithuanian classical music's father Mikalojus Ciurlionis, will be marked during the Festival with a chamber concert of String Quartet Ciurlionis from Lithuania.

The 7th International Symposium this year features the music of the countries of the Mediterranean region. In addition to the lectures, there will be, as is tradition, three chamber concerts featuring young and established performers.

The joint events of the Festival and Varna Opera are the premiere of the Rusalka opera with the special participation of Krassimira Stoyanova and the Katarina, or the Robber's Daughter ballet under the baton of Azat Maksutov.

Alongside Varna Summer,  the Intermezzo programme will be held with Grammy-winning Quinteto Astor Piazzolla on June 4.

This year, the Summer Academy of Varna Summer brings together young talents in the master classes of the teachers Prof. Mincho Minchev (violin), Dimitar Burov (viola), Emil Ivanov (opera singing), and Georgi Vassilev (guitar).

The Crossover programme in the courtyard of the Archaeological Museum features guest artists Hristo Yotsov and Theodosii Spasov.