The town of Pravets situated at the foot of the Balkan Mountain Range in Northwestern Bulgaria will again host the Mozart Days Festival. The 11th edition of the international music festival will be held under the sign of number 175. The festival's artistic director Hristina Angelakova explains why:

“In 2015 we mark the 175th death anniversary of Paganini as well as the 175th birth anniversary of Tchaikovsky and French impressionist Claude Monet. We will open the festival on August 13 with the Magic Flute by Mozart, a production of the Russe Opera House. On August 14 the guests and citizens of Pravets can enjoy the concert dedicated to Paganini's and Tchaikovsky's anniversaries. That is why we invited Polish violinist Mariusz Patyra who is one of the laureates of the Paganini contest in Genoa (Italy). We have also invited Brazilian conductor Jose Maria Florencio to take part of our festival. We are to listen to Paganini's violin concerto No. 1 and Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. We are also to mark the 175th birth anniversary of renowned painter Claude Monet with pieces by Debussy and Ravel to the rendition of Russian pianist Ilya Ovchinnikov and violinist Verustinya Ovchinnikova, as well as by singers Joanna Kadiyska and Alex Avedisyan. We are planning to mark anniversaries of celebrated painters and sculptors in the future as well. In 2014 we marked 450 years since the death of renowned world painter Michelangelo. In 2016 the world will mark 500 years since the death of Hieronymus Bosch. The music marathon will end with the one-man show entitled From Piaf to Mambo Italiano by Maria Elena Infantino who will arrive to Bulgaria from Los Angelis. Pianist Rumen Tsanov will accompany her on stage.”

A matinee entitled Figaro loves Mozart and Rossini will surprise the young fans of the festival on the morning. Children disguised as Mozart and his wife Constantsa will sing and paint. The young ballet-dancers from the local community center will dance under the sounds of Mozart's only ballet which is a prelude to the real culmination of the events - the music and dance show of Mozart's requiem. Soloists Besa Llugiqui (Kosovo), Snezhinka Avramova, Nikolay Motsov, Ivailo Dzhurov, Italian conductor Carlo Donadio, actors Boyka Velkova and Marius Donkin will make a new reading of the eternal piece, which was made especially for the Mozart Festival in Pravets together with the Russe Opera.

“We are to enjoy a performance with theatre, ballet and music for the first time. Popular Bulgarian actress Boyka Velkova will demonstrate her talent on stage. Moreover, the Ballet of the Russe Opera is the second best after the one of the Sofia Opera Theater. That is why I believe that we will surprise the fans of Mozart as well as the theatre and ballet fans with something new and different. I would like to mention the fact that we also included some of Dante's texts as well. ”

Traditionally the festival will be closed with a gala concert at the town square in front of the municipality building. It is named Classic and Pop. Some opera singers and members of the Russe Opera Orchestra will perform under the conductorship of celebrated conductor Jose Maria Florencio. The concert will be dedicated to the birth anniversary of renowned Bulgarian opera singer Hristina Angelakova who will be a special guest to the event. She will meet with many colleagues, students and fans who will demonstrate their love and respect towards her art. Later everyone can watch the film show with selected moments of her rich and artistic biography.

The audio file contains the following works:

-  Rondo: Alegro Spiritoso from Paganini's Concerto No. 1

-  Dies Irae-Mozart Requiem

-  Habanera from Bizet's Carmen to the rendition of Hristina Angelakova

English version: Kostadin Atanasov