site.btaKamdzhalov Festival Under Way with Varied Programme in the Valley of Roses

The first Kamdzhalov Festival in the Valley of Roses at the Damascena Ethnographic Complex near Pavel Banya continues with a diverse programme on Saturday. Organized by the Yordan Kamdzhalov Foundation together with the host complex, the three-day cultural event began on Friday.

Saturday’s programme starts with a conversation with conductor and artistic director Yordan Kamdzhalov. In the evening, audiences will hear performances by the Choir of the Musical Laboratory for the Human, conducted by Maya Vasileva. One of Bulgaria’s largest mixed choirs, this group brings together people with notable vocal and artistic potential, united by their aspiration to perform the world’s classical masterpieces. Also taking part are the Smiling Stars Children’s Choir from the Stremezh Innovative School in Sofia, also under Vasileva’s direction. 

The audience will have the opportunity to experience the format “Bulgaria Sings.” This is held annually at historically and culturally significant sites, and, in Kamdzhalov’s words, is “the most interdisciplinary, broad-minded and democratic format—where the whole audience is invited to become co-creator and participant”.

On Sunday, the festival will culminate in a workshop led by Kamdzhalov and special guests.

The Kamdzhalov Festival in the Valley of Roses opened on Friday with performances by the musicians of Genesis Orchestra under Kamdzhalov’s baton. The programme featured both iconic and lesser-known classical works, and the evening concluded with the debut of Simona Stanoeva, Marina Marinova, and Victoria Rizov from the new folk vocal formation IDNA.