Magnificent. Impactful. Dazzling. In great shape. Strong. Dramatic. Unique. These are just some of the comments that were heard after Sonya Yoncheva's first performance in a full production on the stage of the Sofia Opera.

The performance of Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème" on 29 February was repeatedly interrupted by the audience's applause, and at the finale the ovation lasted for more than ten minutes.

Mimì is one of Sonya Yoncheva's crowning roles, which has taken her to the most prestigious stages in the world. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut with this role in 2014. Next came the Paris Opera, La scala di Milano, Staatsoper Berlin, the Bavarian Opera in Munich...

World critics described Yoncheva's performance as "the perfect Mimì" and highlighted her rich timbre, sparkling pitches and perfect acting presence.

Armenian tenor Liparit Avetisyan's performance as Rodolfo was enthusiastically received. Also on stage were Veselin Mihaylov as Marcello, Anton Andreev as Shaunard, Bozhidar Bozhkilov as Colline and Stanislava Momekova as Musetta.

The conductor was Boyan Videnov. His is the merit for this first tour of Sonya Yoncheva at the Sofia Opera.

Reporter – Daniel Dimitrov
Cameraman – Lyuben Mladenov
Montage – Valya Kovacheva