site.btaBalkan Moods Ensemble Ignites Plovdiv’s Crossroads Festival

The Balkan Moods project was presented as part of the Crossroads International Youth Festival in Plovdiv, the festival organizers said on Wednesday. The event was held at the Small Early Christian Basilica.

The project features Theodosii Spasov (kaval), Georgi Vasilev (guitar), Dimitar Ivanov (10-string guitar), Atanas Ourkouzounov (guitar), and Irina-Kalina Goudeva (double bass and vocals). 

The ensemble’s repertoire combines classical music, jazz, and folk, blending traditional and modern elements, with inspiration drawn from Balkan melodies, rhythms, and cultural traditions.

The evening opened with a welcome from Petar Salchev, founder of the Chamber Stage Plovdiv initiative, which co-organized the concert.

The concert began with works by Serbian composer and guitarist Dusan Bogdanovic. The audience were offered pieces by contemporary Bulgarian and Serbian composers, solo performances, and original works by the group’s members.

This marks the second joint performance by the musicians, following the debut of the project in Bulgaria during the Varna Summer International Music Festival at the Varna Archaeological Museum.

The Crossroads Festival programme continues on July 17 at the Assen Diamandiev Art Academy Plovdiv in Plovdiv with a lecture on the connections between classical music and folklore today, to be delivered by Ourkouzounov, a classical guitarist, composer, and teacher at the Maurice Ravel Conservatory in Paris.

Later on Thursday, a seminar will be held under the theme The Classical Instrumentalist and Opportunities for Development in the Contemporary World: Sources of Inspiration and Methods for Achieving a New Type of Artistry. Vasilev, a classical guitarist and teacher at the Lausanne Conservatory, led the seminar.

A masterclass in double bass with Goudeva is taking place on Thursday and Friday.