The opera gala concert “The Three Tenors” during the Bartók Plus Opera Festival in Miskolc, Hungary, became a true spectacle of pure music pleasure. This is the way I can describe the atmosphere in the beautiful hall of the National Theater in Miskolc during the concert of Galeano Salas from the USA, István Horváth from Hungary, and Bulgarian Mihail Mihaylov. Tickets for the gala concert were sold out long before the start of the festival.

The Bulgarian debuted with great success in front of the Hungarian audience. When he first came out for his performance of Lensky's Aria from Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin", Mikhail seemed more emotionally restrained. After the concert, he said that he did not know what to expect from the Hungarian audience. With each successive performance, he "opened up" more and more, and the Hungarian audience, which in fact was not cold at all, immediately responded to him with an increasingly violent applause.

The climax in the program of the "The Three Tenors" gala concert was the performance of Tonio's Aria from the opera "The Daughter of the Regiment" by Donizetti. The audience at the theater did not expect the witty and amusing performance by Galeano Salas, István Horváth, Mihail Mihaylov, which provoked a burst of applause.

The Hungarian audience has a specific way of applauding when they are pleased with the performance – the applause comes in waves. It is a very special feeling when the whole audience starts to applaud slowly before the applauding gradually accelerates. After the final applause, I went to congratulate the happy performers on stage. Traditionally, they gather for a glass of champagne there after a concert.

“I am very happy! The audience here welcomed us very warmly. I can safely say that my first experience in Hungary has been successful! The applause was like that at a sporting event. It was quite surprising, but very pleasurable! It makes you feel special and it is a very nice experience,” Mihail Mihaylov said.

It is known that many Bulgarians live in Miskolc and the surrounding area. They are descendants of gardeners who moved to Hungary in the XIX - XX centuries.

One of the representatives of the Bulgarian community is Mrs. Maria Nikolaeva, who was also at the concert.

"I am Bulgarian and I have been living in Miskolc for 62 years," she says. “I have graduated from the Medical Academy in Sofia. I'm a doctor. Even though I am neither a writer, nor a poet, nor a musician, I admire art and I am very happy when Bulgarians present their art abroad. My heart fills with joy when I hear that a Bulgarian is coming! Bulgarian cellist Ventseslav Nikolov was here years ago. His father was my cello teacher in high school. I have not been working since 2010 and I am very happy when a Bulgarian comes or I hear something about Bulgarians. I want people to know more about the great achievements of Bulgarians.”

Here is what Mr. Janos Valchev, chair of the Bulgarian community organization in Miskolc, told us:

“My father was Bulgarian and my mother is Hungarian. I was born here in Miskolc and I love Bulgaria and Bulgarians very much! Every year we visit Bulgaria several times. I am very glad that I am both Bulgarian and Hungarian! There are about 40 Bulgarian families in our city, most of them mixed. We gather for big holidays - March 3, May 24 and the Feast of St. Demetrius which is also the Day of Gardeners.”

Editor: Albena Bezovska

English: Alexander Markov