site.btaRecipe for Full House Is Being More Authentic, Says Bulgarian Conductor Yordan Kamdzhalov

The only recipe for a full house is to be more authentic, conductor Yordan Kamdzhalov said in an interview with BTA's Ralitsa Stefanova on Thursday on the eve of the inaugural Kamdzhalov Festival. The event will take place on July 4, 5, and 6 at the Damascena Ethnographic Complex near the village of Skobelevo in central Bulgaria.

Kamdzhalov emphasized that the audience unmistakably recognizes the uncompromisingly real, because there is a hunger for real things in society. He pointed out that the Yordan Kamdzhalov Foundation invites the audience to something real, to proven quality, proven inspiration and proven results, adding that in the coming days the audience can expect to see inspired and proven young people who will create.

For Kamdzhalov, music is a tool for ennobling man and society, for uplifting the human soul and for education. It is a path to individual and public health, art has been a lifesaver, it can and should be so, he said, adding that the Foundation's events arouse the interest of the audience because the artists are honest and prepared on stage. "If we are there simply to fulfill our official duties, the audience will not come to us. They come because of our passion, preparation, emotion, professionalism, dedication, because of our heart," the conductor pointed out, adding that whether the hall will be full or empty depends on the artist.

The conductor noted that each of the festival days begins with a lecture and a meeting with the general public, while the festival will open with the golden teacher of Bulgaria, physicist Teodosii Teodosiev. "This is a complete embrace between culture and education," Kamdzhalov stressed. "I have always said that the Culture Ministry and the Education Ministry should be one, as there can be no education without culture, and I cannot imagine culture without education. This is an embrace between these two principles," he said.

"We do everything with like-minded people who believe and are convinced that culture and education are a guarantee of a meaningful future for every society and civilization," Kamdzhalov pointed out, adding that it is in this non-institutional space that artists have the freedom to create something that can bring more health, inspiration and hope to society. He stressed that the situation in the field of culture in Bulgaria is critical and new people need to work in a new way. "[Working] with old people in a new way will not work, and the same goes for working with new people in the old way. This is a complex and huge case, a huge number of people must agree to work voluntarily for this salvation that we need," he emphasized.

Regarding the invitation of the Damascena Ethnographic Complex to create a festival in his name, Kamdzhalov stated that it was something completely unexpected and unplanned, and that he expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him and his foundation, which "has not stopped supporting the colossal Bulgarian talent during a number of crises." He noted that work is already underway on the organization of the second edition of the festival, which is planned to be held annually.

The conductor pointed out that everything the foundation has achieved is due to the fact that it works on all projects free of charge. "Either we work for ourselves or for society, there is no middle option," Kamdzhalov said, adding that they create platforms for manifesting the talent of people who, since childhood, from morning to night, work for their dreams and who already have a number of national and international achievements.