Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The BNR Symphony Orchestra protests with concert silence

Photo: Ani Petrova, BNR

The Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra undertook effective protest action, as shown in videos of their June 6 concert at Bulgaria Hall, which were posted on social media. The BNR Symphony Orchestra refused to perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s ''Symphonic Dances''. This was one of the three pieces scheduled in their concert program. The guest conductor was Ekhart Wycik from Germany.

''Silence is our only weapon'', violinist Zvezdelina Haltakova told the audience, as quoted by dnevnik.bg. She added that for years they have been forced to create in inacceptable working conditions — lack of instruments, lack of concert clothing and insultingly-low pay. The concert hall supported the silent protest with applause.

On June 4, at a press conference held at BTA, young musicians from the BNR Symphony Orchestra stated that they receive a net monthly salary of 1,260 BGN (619 EUR). 

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: Ani Petrova, BNR



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgaria insists on building bridges over the Danube near Silistra and Nikopol

More bridges over the Danube are not just a bilateral issue between Bulgaria and Romania – they are a strategic priority for the prosperity of the entire EU and for our collective security within NATO.  This was emphasized by Deputy Prime Minister..

published on 11/6/25 8:46 AM

Bulgaria and North Macedonia sign an agreement on building a railway tunnel between the two countries

Today, the deputy PMs and ministers of transport of Bulgaria and North Macedonia Grozdan Karadjov and Aleksandar Nikoloski will sign an agreement on the preparation, construction and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel between the two..

published on 11/6/25 7:15 AM

Ex-PM Boyko Borisov: Delyan Peevski is unfairly sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act

GERB leader Boyko Borisov has told the media that he personally participated in talks with American representatives on the lifting of the Magnitsky sanctions against Bulgarian citizens. He said that he also spoke on the subject with David Cameron while..

published on 11/5/25 9:04 PM