site.btaApollonia Festival to Attract New Generation of Audiences

The Apollonia Festival is seeking to bring in a new wave of young people who may have never heard of the event before, said Apollonia Foundation Executive Director Margarita Dimitrova during the presentation of the 41st edition of the arts festival at the BTA press club in Sofia on Friday.

"I decided it was time to change and build an entirely new wave, a new audience that we must attract to the festival. This will happen by bringing in young people who have never heard of it before," said Dimitrova. "To reach them, I have to invite artists from their generation. It’s a completely natural connection, and I think it’s very important. That’s why this year I focused on featuring young people, and I believe it will greatly contribute to building a new audience."

This year’s programme will include participation from the National Academy of Arts, the National Music Academy (NMA), and the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA). The rectors of these universities will be present to talk about current developments at their institutions. There will also be an exhibition of works by graduating students. On August 29, the NMA Big Band will perform with soloists Hilda Kazasyan and Vasil Petrov, conducted by Mihail Yosifov. NATFA will present a staging of Twelve Angry Men, directed by students from Prof. Ivaylo Hristov’s class.

The festival will also feature masterclasses aimed at young people. Svetlin Roussev will hold his first ever masterclass at Apollonia, as will the band Fondatsiata. Dimitrova shared her excitement about reuniting the Apollonia Concertmasters Orchestra, which will perform on September 2.

BTA has had a longstanding relationship with Apollonia, noted BTA Director General Kiril Valchev. "We published a special issue of LIK magazine dedicated to the festival. Last year, it was a great honour for BTA to receive the Apollon Toxophoros award at the 40th edition of the event." This year’s LIK presentation will take place on August 30 and will showcase all issues from the previous to the current festival.

LIK’s editor-in-chief Georgi Lozanov, said Apollonia not only preserves tradition but also supports cultural and civic engagement. "There is a real need in Bulgaria today for civic spirit and resistance. That’s why integrating the next generation into this cultural community is so important, because we are counting on them," he said.

From August 28 to September 6, the seaside town of Sozopol will host over 70 events spanning music, theatre, literature, film, and visual arts.

Exhibitions will feature selected works from the upcoming 11th International Triennial of Stage Poster and diploma projects by National Art Academy students.

Literary evenings will include renowned writers such as Georgi Gospodinov and film lovers can enjoy a selection of recent Bulgarian feature and documentary films.