site.btaInternational Jazz Festival Launches Fourth Edition in Borovets

The International Jazz Festival Dr Emil Iliev began its fourth annual edition in the Borovets tourist resort on Friday.

Festival Director Tatyana Ilieva, Minister of Culture Marian Bachev, Mayor of Samokov Municipality Angel Djorgov, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Director General Milen Mitev, and Sofia Region Governor Silvia Arnautska formally opened the event.

The festival started with its anthem, as attendees stood to honour its founder, Dr Emil Iliev. The official guests delivered ceremonial speeches, and Bachev presented awards named after the festival’s founder.

The first award went to the Bulgarian National Radio, which marks 90 years in 2025, and was accepted by the broadcaster’s Director General Milen Mitev. A second award honoured the BNR Big Band on its 65th anniversary; conductor Antoni Donchev received the accolade. Another award was presented to Lilia Ilieva, daughter of the festival’s founders and one of the forum’s hosts.

Bachev presented an award to Nikola Nikolov, a recent graduate of the American College of Sofia who won a gold medal at an international contest in mathematical linguistics earlier in the week. The final, but no less important, award went to eight-year-old Danaya Aleksandrova, who joined Orlin Pavlov on stage.

Festival Director Tatyana Ilieva said the event had become a tradition, eagerly anticipated not only by audiences but also on Samokov Municipality’s cultural calendar. Ilieva thanked Mayor Djorgov, noting that the town was rich in cultural heritage. Samokov’s bond with jazz, she said, stemmed from composer Rumen Toskov – Rupeto. The festival was created for the single purpose of developing summer mountain tourism, she added. “Why jazz, why a jazz festival? Because jazz is love, jazz is energy and it brings people together, and the international jazz festival does exactly that – it unites lovers of music, beauty and the good things in life,” Ilieva said, adding that six unforgettable evenings lay ahead.

“We have gathered not to listen to but to experience jazz,” Bachev said. This music, he added, is not merely listened to or played – it is lived. Music, he said, is stronger than everything.

Mayor Djorgov expressed gratitude to Ilieva and her team. “Dr Ilieva has explained why there is jazz in Samokov and Borovets; at the very least we have traditions through Rumen Toskov – Rupeto, and I believe Samokov and Borovets deserve a jazz festival in his memory,” Djorgov said. He described the festival as one of the most significant events not only on Samokov’s cultural calendar but for the entire country, and thanked BTA and BNR for covering the festival and other events. He also greeted other media outlets and the BNR Big Band for taking part in the opening.

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev noted that the Bulgarian News Agency had been a media partner of the International Jazz Festival Dr Emil Iliev since its first edition in 2022, yet its earliest jazz-festival report dates back to 1975 in Ruse. “The very first jazz festival in Bulgaria was held in Yambol in 1974 – only seven years after the famous Montreux Jazz Festival began,” Valchev said. BTA's archives, he added, hold reports on many jazz festivals around Bulgaria, from Sofia and Varna to Bansko, the latter launched by Dr Emil Iliev. "Doctor Jazz’s legacy is evident in the jazz festivals held in both the Pirin and Rila mountain regions, areas known for their restorative air and for festivals that enrich the spirit," Valchev said. He connected the twin mountain events to a key characteristic of jazz: polyrhythm, the layering of two or more rhythms simultaneously. He also referenced improvisation as another defining feature, mentioning singer Orlin Pavlov’s earlier comment about enjoying jazz for the creative freedom it allows. “Be sure to explore jazz freely, and stay updated with BTA’s coverage of jazz festivals throughout Bulgaria,” Valchev said.

The International Jazz Festival opened this evening in Borovets, marking its fourth consecutive year in Bulgaria’s oldest winter resort. The event runs from August 1 to 6. The opening performance featured the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), conducted by Antoni Donchev, with guest soloist Orlin Pavlov and eight-year-old Danaya Aleksandrova.

This year’s edition spotlights Bulgarian artists, including several celebrating anniversaries. Jazz enthusiasts can look forward to performances by Dirty Loops, ClassicArt and Veronika Todorova, Nguyen Le Trio, Triplet Trio, Zone C, Dimitar Lyolev, Miroslav Ivanov, and Los Pasos. The summer jazz academy for children returns. A newly released album featuring compositions and performances by the late Vasil Parmakov will also be presented.

BTA is a media partner of the festival.