The Varna Summer International Music Festival opened its 88th edition on 14 June 2014 with a symphony concert featuring Varna Philharmonic with principal conductor Svetoslav Borissov and young violin virtuoso Alehandra Soumm. Special guest at the opening ceremony and concert was Kathrin Deventer, Secretary General of the European Festivals Association (EFA). The festival runs until 8 August.

Kathrin Deventer addressed the full music hall with a touching speech about the importance of sharing artistic moments between artists and audience, something unique that happens only at festivals.

The audience applauded the lavish concert programme of Pantcho Vladigerov's Vardar Overture, followed by Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Symphony No5 with standing ovation.

The Varna Summer International Music Festival is the oldest music festival in Bulgaria and one of the festivals with the longest tradition in Europe.

Rumyana Petrova, who developed the 2014 festival programme, said: “The 2014 edition has been developed following the ideas of the festival's original founders of 88 years ago: richness of different genres, balance between Bulgarian and world classical music, integrity between different generations of artists, featuring collaborations between Bulgarian and international artists, and spotlight on local composers and performers.”

The 2014 programme is structured in seven modules: Symphony concerts, Opera, Chamber orchestras and ensembles, Days of Czech music, Summer Music Academy, Varna music lab, and Crossover. Some highlights are: the Symphony Orchestra of Asturias (Spain); the productions of Opera Varna with international guest soloists; Camerata Orphica (Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Macedonia); Josef Spacek with Graffe String Quartet (Czech Republic); Plamena Mangova with Svetlin Roussev; Mitko Burov with friends; and Seven Sacred Spaces by Stratsimir Pavlov.

Rumyana Petrova added: “We are celebrating the anniversaries of composers M. Mussorgsky, R. Strauss, P. Vladigerov, D. Hristov, and are premiering more than 10 new compositions. The seven weeks of Varna Summer 2014 promise to be a feast for local music lovers and tourists in Varna.”

(Photo: Rossen Donev)