The concert in memory of Ghena Dimitrova opened the events for the Bulgarian presidency of the EU in 2018

With a big concert, dedicated to the world opera diva Ghena Dimitrova in Bratislava soloists of the Sofia Opera realized the first initiative in the calendar of cultural events at the occasion of the upcoming Bulgarian presidency of the EU in 2018. The sopranos Bayasgalan Dashnyam and Gabriela Georgieva, the bass Bozhidar Bozhilkov in accompaniment of the pianist Ivaylo Ivanov raised on their feet the audience in the overcrowded representative hall “Dvorana” of the Slovak Ministry of Culture. The event gathered ambassadors of 16 countries, representatives of the government and the academic circles, mayors, figures of culture, many citizens.

Especially for the event, dedicated to 10 years of the Bulgarian membership in the EU and to 45 years of the foundation of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Bratislava, at a short working visit was the Minister of Culture Rashko Mladenov. “After 2007 the Bulgarian with still bigger responsibility makes sense of his cultural richness, his cultural and spiritual identity and his place in united Europe”, marked he in his greeting. Congratulation at the occasion of the Anniversary of the membership of Bulgaria in the EU addressed Dušan Hrenek, head of the Representative of the European Commission in Slovakia. A memory about the time from before the Bulgarian membership in the EU as a student in Italy and the advantages for our country after 2007 shared our ambassador in Bratislava Н.E. Yordanka Chobanova.

Before the beginning of the concert in memory of Ghena Dimitrova the Director of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Bratislava Vanya Radeva marked: “The three singers, who arrived this evening from Bulgaria, are among those, who had the honour to touch to her great personality and talent. Bayasgalan Dashnyam and Gabriela Georgieva are her students, and the young Bozhidar Bozhilkov is the best proof that Ghena Dimitrova left after herself a vocal school.”

The concert, which ended with 10-minute applause and enthusiastic comments by the present ones, included arias and duets by Cilea, Verdi, Mascagni, Bellini and Glinka. In the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Bratislava upcoming is the presentation of the book “Ghena Dimitrova from А to Z” and of Dimitar Sotirov’s and Milena Stoykova’s movie “Love for Ghena”.