On 25 October, for the fourth consecutive year, the Sofia Opera joined the professional celebration of opera theatres, initiated by the three major opera associations – "Opera Europa", "Opera America" and "Opera Latin America", giving an extraordinary experience to the admirers of opera art.

The programme started from the central foyer of the theatre, which was transformed into a kind of opera gallery – the audience touched the costumes of some of the greatest world opera stars of Bulgaria such as Valerie Popova, Ghena Dimitrova, Raina Kabaivanska, Hristina Angelakova, models of sets and props from the productions of "Rigoletto", "Tosca", "Don Carlo" and "Attila".

The guests were also presented the history of the opera genre and the establishment of the first opera theatre in Bulgaria – the Sofia Opera.

The Director of the Sofia Opera Acad. Plamen Kartaloff greeted all the attendees and introduced the four special guests on the festive day – the remarkable Bulgarian singers Alexandrina Pendatchanska and Vesselina Kasarova, the director Ludĕk Golat and the conductor Oliver von Dohnányi.

Maestro Kartaloff shared that the World Opera Day takes place every year to raise awareness of the value of opera art, which ennobles people. He also highlighted the selfless mission to attract and create a constant contact with the audience so that they are not only fleetingly involved but are convinced that the art of opera brings beauty.

Alexandrina Pendatchanska and Vesselina Kasarova told that they work with young opera artists to whom they pass on their experience. Pendatchanska added that at the beginning of her artistic career she was inspired by Vesselina Kasarova's performance as Rosina in "Il barbiere di Siviglia" on the stage of the Sofia Opera.

Ludĕk Golat, director and manager of the international Let's sing project, and the conductor Oliver von Dohnányi, who together are preparing the final concert of the finalists on 29 October, greeted the audience.

The soloists of the Sofia Opera Gabriela Georgieva, Stefan Vladimirov, Daniel Ostretsov, Mariana Zvetkova, Rosen Nenchev and Silvia Teneva gave a special musical greeting to the audience. The programme included arias from the operas "La Traviata", "Rigoletto", "Attila", "Porgy and Bess", "La Gioconda" and "Gianni Schicchi". The magnificent piano accompaniment was by Milen Stanev.

After the end of the festive concert, the audience was invited for a glass of wine.

For all those who could not attend, a video greeting with exciting moments from the 2021/2022 season of the Sofia Opera was broadcast on the theatre's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

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